Beech 36 accident near Holland, Michigan, August 20, 2005
On August 20, 2005 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Beech 36, registered N6222V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Holland, Michigan (Park Township Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to extend the landing gear prior to landing. A factor to the accident was the pilot becoming distracted by his passengers during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2005 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Holland, Michigan · Park Township Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 36 · all 36s on the register
- Registration
- N6222V · no longer on the register · serial E-3
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged during an attempted go-around, after the pilot recognized that the landing gear was not extended during the landing approach. The pilot reported that the flight was in conjunction with an Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles event. The aircraft was loaded with three passengers when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that two of the passengers were "teasing" the third passenger during the landing approach and as a result of being distracted he "forgot to put the landing gear down until the very last minute." The pilot stated that the airplane was "too close for the gear to lock" and he attempted a go-around. The pilot reported that the left wing "dipped and touched the ground causing the aircraft to spin off the runway."
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,299 hours in all; 842 in this make and model; 1,198 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,963.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HLM Holland MI at 4:00 pm
- Destination: HLM Holland MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 2,999 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from BIV, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6222V 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.