Amateur-built VJ22 accident near Erie, Michigan, June 27, 2020
On June 27, 2020 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1975 amateur-built VJ22, registered N59262, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Erie, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to ensure that the amphibious airplane’s wheels were retracted before attempting a water landing, resulting in a nose over during touch down. Contributing to the accident was the lack of a checklist available to the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2020 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VJ22 No Series, built 1975
- Registration
- N59262 · registry record · serial F-2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he had departed from a paved runway in his amphibious airplane. After takeoff, he was momentarily distracted by communications with air traffic control and did not ensure the landing gear was retracted. After a short local flight, he prepared to make a water landing on a lake. However, he was unable to locate the water landing checklist in the airplane and completed the checklist from memory. During the process, he inadvertently "skipped over" verifying the landing gear was retracted. When the airplane touched down on the water, he was unable to prevent it from nosing over. Photographs of the airplane taken during recovery from the lake showed substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that could have contributed to the accident.
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
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 789 hours in all; 102 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 703 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 2, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 274 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 25, 2020; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TOL Toledo OH at 8:35 pm
- Destination: None Erie MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from TOL, 80 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 7, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N59262 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.