| Crash location | 42.795833°N, 86.161944°W |
| Nearest city | Holland, MI
42.787523°N, 86.108930°W 2.7 miles away |
| Tail number | N6222V |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 20 Aug 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Beech 36 |
| Additional details: | None |
On August 20, 2005, at 1215 eastern daylight time, a Beech 36 (Bonanza), N6222V, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during an attempted go-around from runway 23 (2,999 feet by 50 feet, asphalt) at the Park Township Airport (HLM), Holland, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and his three passengers were not injured. The local area flight departed HLM around 1200 and was returning to the airport at the time of the accident.
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 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.