# Accident 20251126019219A: Richard Gray RG12, Benton Harbor, MI, November 26, 2025 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 26, 2025, 09:35 local time - Place: Benton Harbor, MI - Airport: Southwest Michigan Regional - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 42.1284° N, 86.4249° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN RGNL (BEH), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.1284&lon=-86.4249&mi=10 - Aircraft: CFGEW (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: RICHARD GRAY RG12 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,570 total, 50 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251126019219A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON NOVEMBER 26, 2025, 0935 LOCAL TIME AT “ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^” EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT WITH ONE PILOT AND ONE PAX GROUND LOOPED ON RUNWAY 28 AT SOUTHWEST REGIONAL AIRPORT (KBEH). THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER A LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT GROUND LOOP. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED FROM DOWAGIAC MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (C91) ENROUTE TO ROCHELLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (RPJ). AFTER A LEVEL OFF AT 2000 FT MSL THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A VIOLENT SHAKING IN THE CONTROLS AND THE WINGS AND AILERONS WERE FLAPPING. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DAMPEN THE VIBRATION BY CHANGING AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE WITH NO AVAIL. THE PILOT DESCENDED INTO AN UNKNOWN FARM FIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING BUT DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE, SO HE ABORTED THE LANDING, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND HEADED TOWARD KBEH. UPON ARRIVING AT KBEH THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LINE UP ON RUNWAY 28 AND PREPARED TO LAND WITH A CROSSWIND. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY TOUCHING DOWN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO YAW LEFT AND RIGHT UNTIL THE LEFT WINGTIP CONTACTED THE GROUND FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT WING, THEN THE PROPELLER, AND FINALLY THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN HALF ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGTIPS, THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED ON BOTH BLADE TIPS BENDING IN A REARWARD DIRECTION INDICATING THE BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND WITH THE ENGINE AT A LOW POWER SETTING. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM CONTACTING THE GROUND. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FRAME DIRECTLY BEHIND THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING FROM THE USE OF A RECOVERY CABLE AND THE TAIL WAS BENT IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION IN FRONT OF THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CONTROL SURFACES. THE RUDDER HORNS WERE SHEARED OFF FROM THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WEATHER WAS: ORIGINAL DEPARTURE AIRPORT BATTLE CREEK BTL: KBTL 261253Z 23014G30KT 10SM OVC028 02/M02 A2966 RMK AO2 PK WND 22030/1248 SLP050 T00221022 INTENDED DESTINATION RPJ: KDKB 261555Z AUTO 27018G32KT 10SM BKN023 OVC030 00/M04 A2980 RMK AO2 T10031044 ACCIDENT AIRPORT BEH: KBEH 261453Z AUTO 24027G43KT 3SM -SN BKN024 OVC034 02/M01 A2969 RMK AO2 PK WND 25045/1438 UPB1359E19B36E39SNE1359B19E28B39 SLP057 P0000 60000 T00171011 53002 AFTER REVIEWING STATEMENTS FROM THE PILOT AND PASSENGER, IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE FLIGHT CONTROLS MAY HAVE BEEN OF RIG. AFTER A VISUAL INSPECTION AND PHYSICAL CONTROL CHECK SHOWED POSITIVE CORRELATION IN THE CONTROLS. DUE TO THE RIGHT-WING STRUTS BEING BENT AND THE RIGHT WING HAVING DAMAGE, THE CABLE TENSIONS MAY HAVE BEEN DISTURBED TOO MUCH TO VERIFY PROPER RIGGING. IN REVIEW OF WITNESS STATEMENTS, A VIDEO TAKEN BY THE PAX IN FLIGHT, AND PHOTOS OBTAINED OF THE RIGHT WING, IT APPEARED TO HAVE A VERTICAL OSCILLATION IN FLIGHT WITH SUSPECTED INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE WING. A FURTHER VISUAL INSPECTION OF INSIDE THE RIGHT WING THROUGH INSPECTION ACCESS PANELS SHOWED THE DRAG AND ANTI-DRAG WIRES THAT ARE CRITICAL IN MAINTAINING THE WINGS RIGIDITY WERE VERY LOOSE AND UNDER MINIMAL TENSION. THE WIRES ARE THREADED AT BOTH ENDS AND ARE TENSIONED TO A SPECIFIED AMOUNT. THESE WIRES WERE FOUND TO BE ADJUSTABLE BY HAND IN A TIGHTENING AND LOOSENING DIRECTION INDICATING THAT THEY WERE NOT PROVIDING THE PROPER SUPPORT TO THE WING STRUCTURE. BOTH THE PILOT AND PAX SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND REQUIRED MINOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. ## NTSB investigation None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.