Beech A36 accident near Healdsburg, California, August 21, 2005
On August 21, 2005 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N7226M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Healdsburg, California (Healdsburg Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain lateral aircraft control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2005 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Healdsburg, California · Healdsburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N7226M · registry record · serial E-2228
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The wing dragged on the ground during takeoff. The pilot rotated at 75 knots. Shortly after liftoff, he felt the airplane roll and yaw; he thought that he was encountering a wind shear. The pilot initiated corrective control inputs with the rudder, neutral aileron, and forward yoke pressure. The airplane attitude and flight path returned to normal, and the pilot retracted the landing gear. The pilot did not feel or hear the impact of the left wing tip and was surprised to see the damage during the climb phase of the flight. The pilot diverted to a nearby airport where he executed an emergency landing. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,300 hours in all; 59 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 998 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,780 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O31 Healdsburg CA
- Destination: TRK Truckee CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,707 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 165° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.