Mooney M20G accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina, July 24, 1992
On July 24, 1992 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Mooney M20G, registered N6785N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina (Hendersonville airport). 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 DELAY IN EXECUTING A RECOVERY FROM THE BOUNCED LANDING AND HIS INADVERTENT STALL DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER AND LANDING WAS ABORTED. FACTORS WERE THE EXCESSIVE LANDING SPEED AND THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1992 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hendersonville, North Carolina · Hendersonville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20G · all M20Gs on the register
- Registration
- N6785N · no longer on the register · serial 680095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE LANDED, NOSE WHEEL FIRST, AT AN EXCESSIVE LANDING SPEED AND PORPOISED SEVERAL TIMES. A WITNESS STATED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 500 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE LANDING WAS ABORTED. HIGH TREES BOUNDED THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB OVER THE TREES AND STALLED. IT THEN COLLIDED WITH THE TREES & THE GROUND, WITH THE ENGINE AT 'FULL POWER.' THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND IN A VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. IT WAS SUPPORTED IN THAT POSITION BY THE THICK WOODS. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE ENGINE ACCELERATED WITHOUT HIS INPUT & THAT THE PROP GOVERNOR CABLE WAS FOUND BROKEN AT THE CONTROL PANEL END. THE PROP GOVERNOR ARM WAS FOUND IN THE FULL INCREASE POSITION. ADDITIONALLY, THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE 3500 FEET MSL.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 660 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,362 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 7, 1992; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAV Savannah GA at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,100 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from AVL, 10 miles away
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.