Mooney M20F accident near Brewton, Alabama, August 2, 2004
On August 2, 2004 at about 2:16 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N9663M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brewton, Alabama (Brewton Municipal 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
A loss of engine power (non-mechanical) for undetermined reasons. A factor was the collision with a fence during emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2004 · about 2:16 pm local time
- Place
- Brewton, Alabama · Brewton Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9663M · no longer on the register · serial 670240
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in cruise flight at 4,500 feet mean sea level when the engine suddenly stopped producing power, and the propeller wind-milled. The pilot's attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful. During approach to land in a pasture, the airplane struck treetops, touched down in tall weeds, and then rolled over rough, uneven ground and collided with a barbed-wire fence. Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the wings, landing gear, and fuselage. Fuel was observed in the wing tanks. An engine start was performed using the cockpit engine controls, and the engine was observed to start and idle. Engine run up procedures were performed with no abnormalities observed with the engine, engine controls, and accessories. No evidence of mechanical malfunction was observed.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KDTS Destin FL
- Destination: KIDL Indianola MS
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.