Mooney M20C incident near Marietta, Georgia, July 18, 1989
On July 18, 1989 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N1379W, suffered minor damage in an incident near Marietta, Georgia (Mccallum Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY FLARE THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1989 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marietta, Georgia · Mccallum Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1379W · no longer on the register · serial 2660
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRSPEED TO DECAY PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, AND THE AIRPLANE STALLED DURING THE FLARE MANEUVER. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING AND PROPELLER TIPS. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE IMPACT AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,110 hours in all; 920 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,025 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,214 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 10, 1988; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Kennesaw GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Observation at 6:48 pm from FTY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.