Amateur-built DHC-6-200 accident near Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 3, 1985
On April 3, 1985 at about 11:33 am local time, a amateur-built DHC-6-200, registered N3434, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Rapids, Michigan (Kent County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1985 · about 11:33 am local time
- Place
- Grand Rapids, Michigan · Kent County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-6-200
- Registration
- N3434 · registry record · serial 193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE 14 CFR 135 PILOT WITH LIGHT LOAD OF CARGO WAS TAKING OFFOF 10000 X 150 FT RUNWAY PILOT SAID RT ENGINE LOST POWER HE REDUCED POWER TO LD WAS 50 FT AGL AND BOUNCED ON SECOND TOUCHDOWN ACFT DEPT RUNWAY AT 45 ANGLE NOSE GEAR BROKE OFF IN SOD WIND WAS 30 OFF NOSE AT 12K GUSTING 2 1 RT WING CAP DESTROYED BY GROUND CONTACT ENGINE EXAM DISCLOSED NO MALFUNCTION ACFT FERRIED OUT AFTER STRUCTUAL-NO ENGINE REPAIR
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,445 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 7,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,805 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 1985; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,579 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mountain Air Cargo
The flight
- Departed from: GRR Grand Rapids MI
- Destination: TVC Traverse City MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 12 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 am from GRR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N3434 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.