Mooney M20F accident near Lubbock, Texas, June 26, 2010
On June 26, 2010 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N3495X, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Lubbock, Texas (Town And Country Airpark 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 student pilot's failure to maintain control during a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2010 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · Town And Country Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F NO SERIES · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3495X · no longer on the register · serial 670034
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing with a headwind of 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots. When the airplane was on short final approach, at about 10 to 12 feet above the runway, the student pilot said that the airplane "fell out of the sky...and bounced on all three wheels." He then applied full power and attempted a go-around. While still airborne, the right wing of the airplane struck a tree approximately 125 feet to the left of the runway centerline. The impact with the tree sheared off the outboard three feet of the right wing and the airplane then struck level terrain and came to rest upright. There was a fuel spill, but no post-impact fire. The impacts caused substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, engine mounts, landing gear, and tail surfaces. The student pilot reported that he was not injured. An examination of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies.
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
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during uncontrolled descent
- Miscellaneous/other during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 104 hours in all; 84 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 27 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 24, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,781 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FWS Burleson TX at 6:30 pm
- Destination: F82 Lubbock TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,500 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from LBB, 348 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.