Beech A36 accident near Grand Rapids, Michigan, February 1, 2003
On February 1, 2003 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N5677X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Rapids, Michigan (Gerald R. Ford International airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control which resulted in the overload of the aircraft. Spatial disorientation, an inoperative turn coordinator, and the pilot's misinterpretation of the flight instruments were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2003 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Rapids, Michigan · Gerald R. Ford International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N5677X · registry record · serial EZ797
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane received substantial damage during a high speed pull-up while recovering from an unusual attitude after a loss of control during an instrument training flight in actual instrument meteorological conditions. The ceiling was reported to be overcast at 700 feet above ground level. The airplane subsequently returned to the departure airport. The certified flight instructor who was on-board the airplane reported that pre-departure checks of the flight instruments were normal. He said that, during the flight the gyroscopic flight instrument became unusable. A postaccident examination revealed that the turn coordinator circuit breaker was in the open position. Further testing revealed no detectable defects in the gyroscopic flight instruments and instrument pressure system.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,230 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,160 as pilot in command; 645 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2002; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO 550B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GRR Grand Rapids MI at 12:50 pm
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from GRR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N5677X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CHI03LA063.