Mooney M20J accident near Statesville, North Carolina, November 27, 2004
On November 27, 2004 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N2201, was substantially damaged in an accident near Statesville, North Carolina (Statesville Regional airport). It was an instructional 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 flight instructors improper use of the flight controls on rotation during a short field takeoff resulting in the airplane becoming airborne, stall, and collision with the ground. A factor in the accident was the instructors failure to brief procedures for a positive transfere of the flight controls with the pilot receiving instruction.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2004 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Statesville, North Carolina · Statesville Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N2201 · registry record · serial 1389
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated he was conducting an instructional flight with a private pilot who had been having problems with performing the soft field takeoff maneuver. The flight instructor stated he did not brief the private pilot on positive transfer of the flight controls before departing on the flight. The private pilot taxied out to runway 28 and completed the required takeoff checks and taxied into position for takeoff. The private pilot started the takeoff roll. When the airplane reached rotation speed the private pilot did not rotate the airplane. The flight instructor verbally informed the pilot to rotate the airplane. The pilot did not respond to the flight instructors instructions. The flight instructor pulled back on the control yoke and the airplane became airborne in a nose up attitude with both pilots on the on the flight controls. The flight instructor stated, "the airplane stalled and the left wing dropped down." The flight instructor verbally instructed the pilot to release the flight controls and he complied with his instructions. The flight instructor leveled the airplane as it collided with the ground off the left side of the runway. The airplane continued forward and collided with a fence before it came to a stop. When asked if the airplane had any mechanical problems before the accident the flight instructor stated no. He further stated, "the accident was his fault, he failed to exercise good cockpit resource management by not properly transferring the flight controls, resulting in the airspeed not being maintained when he pulled back on the control yoke."
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 8, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SVH Statesville NC at 6:39 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from CLT, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.