Beech A36 accident near Griffin, Georgia, March 11, 2024
On March 11, 2024 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1978 Beech A36, registered N216R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Griffin, Georgia (Griffin-Spalding County 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to extend the airplane’s landing gear before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2024 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Griffin, Georgia · Griffin-Spalding County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36, built 1978 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N216R · registry record · serial E1341
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, abeam the runway numbers, he “reviewed the checklist and completed the steps with my hand touching the landing gear handle.” On the base leg of the traffic pattern, he attempted to check the landing gear position indicator lights, but glare from the sun prevented him from confirming if the lights were illuminated. The pilot continued to land and upon touchdown realized that the landing gear were not extended resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 279 hours in all; 205 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 24, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,044.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 1,328 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GA62 Griffin GA at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,701 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from 6A2
Weather report (METAR): METAR K6A2 111655Z AUTO 33004KT 10SM CLR 13/M10 A3028 RMK AO2
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 June 28, 2024. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | 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.
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.