Bend pilot, 75, unhurt in hard landing of his new plane

A 75-year-old Bend pilot returning to Bend Airport after taking delivery of his new plane had a strut collapse as he touched down, prompting a hard landing that left him unhurt but damaged the aircraft, officials said.

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies responded to the report of an aircraft which had damage from a hard landing and was blocking a runway, Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp said.

They arrived to find the 2018 Cub Crafter FX280 with a collapsed wheel strut, resting on its left wingtip, Vander Kamp said.

Pilot Michael Herzog, who was alone on board, told deputies he left Hood River en route to Bend after taking delivery of the plane earlier in the day.

Upon landing, the strut failed and collapsed, causing the aircraft’s wing and tail to contact the runway, the sergeant said. That caused the plane to swing around in a “ground loop” before coming to rest on the runway, leaking a small amount of fuel.

The aircraft sustained moderate damage, but Herzog was uninjured, Vander Kamp said.

Citizens and other pilots came to his aid and later helped remove the plane from the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, Vander Kamp said.

The sergeant said that according to Herzog, he has many hours of experience in this kind of “tail-dragger” aircraft.