Mooney M20J accident near Gainesville, Georgia, September 3, 1999
On September 3, 1999 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N4072H, was destroyed in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed which resulted in a stall and the subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 1999 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gainesville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N4072H · no longer on the register · serial 24-1051
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses near the accident site recall observing the airplane in level flight at approximately 2000 feet above the ground. Other witnesses near the accident site reported hearing the engine lose power and then regain power, but are unclear as to whether the engine lost power a second time before colliding with the ground. They then observed the airplane pitch up and then spiral nose-down until it collided with the ground. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane rested on the ground in a nose low attitude. Debris from the airplane was scattered within an area 60 feet square. The engine and propeller assemblies were buried several inches into the ground. Examination of the engine assembly and the airframe failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or a component failure.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,944 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1999; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Atlanta GA at 10:16 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from PDK, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.