Beech C24R accident near Marine City, Michigan, May 22, 2016
On May 22, 2016 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1978 Beech C24R, registered N20135, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Marine City, Michigan (Marine City Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The misalignment of the right main landing gear, which resulted in the failure of the landing gear to retract and extend properly. Also causal was the pilot's failure to have the airplane inspected after a hard landing that had resulted in substantial damage to the right wing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2016 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marine City, Michigan · Marine City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C24R, built 1978 · all C24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N20135 · registry record · serial MC-604
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a personal flight when, after takeoff, the right main landing gear did not initially fully retract. The pilot said that, before he could recycle the landing gear, he felt a "thump," and the right landing gear position indictor light turned off (indicating a fully retracted landing gear). Believing the issue had resolved itself, he continued to his planned destination. The pilot reported that, while on landing approach, he selected the landing gear to extend; however, the indicator light for the right main landing gear did not illuminate (indicating an unsafe gear position). He conducted a go-around, and after several unsuccessful attempts to extend the right main landing gear, including an emergency extension, the pilot decided to land with the right main landing gear retracted. The pilot intentionally landed along the right edge of the runway to allow the right wing to drop onto the grass alongside the runway. Upon landing, the right wing contacted the ground, and the airplane swerved off the right side of the runway into a marshy grass area. The right wing and the right side of the stabilator were substantially damaged when they collided with several runway lights during the landing. Postaccident examination and testing revealed that the right main landing gear was misaligned, which resulted in the tire contacting the aft wheel well fairing during landing gear retraction and extension. The pilot subsequently reported that the airplane had recently been involved in a hard landing, after which the right-side cabin door began to scrape the top of the right wing when it was opened and closed. It is likely that the previous hard landing had resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and the misalignment of the right main landing gear. A review of the airframe maintenance logbook confirmed that landing gear had extended and retracted normally during the last annual inspection. There were no logbook maintenance entries after the last annual inspection.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Not inspected
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 950 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 7, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,336.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 2015; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 5,337 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OKK Kokomo IN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 76G Marine City MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 3,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 23,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 7:58 pm from MTC, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN16LA190.