Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Sugar Loaf Mountain Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sugar Loaf Mountain, Michigan 49621
Tuesady, July 10, 2012 14:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot, on a personal cross-country flight, had flown into the destination airport many times before and was familiar with the procedures associated with landing there. While completing the before-landing checklist, the pilot became distracted by conversation from the passengers. The pilot said that he did not hear the gear warning horn and, before he realized that the gear was still up, the airplane impacted the runway, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage during the wheels-up landing. Earlier in the flight, the pilot briefed his passengers about having a sterile cockpit environment during the landing phase of flight, but the conversation did not cease. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies associated with the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot did not complete the before-landing checklist and, subsequently, failed to extend the landing gear prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction with his passengers’ conversation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/10/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1440 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sugar Loaf Mountain |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49621 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 445444N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0854850W |
| Event Location Airport | Sugar Loaf Mountain |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | Y04 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 825 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1350 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | kvtc |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.15 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KVTC 101853Z 050010KT 10 SM FEW050 SCT250 26/12 A3 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30158 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA - Grand Rapids FSDO (John |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 1 2012 4:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2023V |
| NTSB Number | CEN12CA436 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | 58 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TH-968 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 16 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 72 |
| Airframe Hours | 6289 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DOTAERO L L C |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2429 HIGHPOINTE DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | KALAMAZOO |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49008-2074 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | DOTAERO L L C |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Kalamazo |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 49008-2074 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GRR |
| Departure City | Grand Rapids |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | Y04 |
| Destination City | Sugar Loaf Mountain |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 27 2012 4:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | linj-i |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 02 |
| Runway Length | 3519 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |