Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K accident near Hutchinson, Minnesota, July 20, 2012
On July 20, 2012 at about 1:30 am local time, a Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K, registered N262RW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hutchinson, Minnesota (Hutchinson Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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 inadequate flare and failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with obstructions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2012 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Hutchinson, Minnesota · Hutchinson Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K
- Registration
- N262RW · registry record · serial 25-0649
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that the airplane bounced multiple times during landing before the airplane veered to the left. His efforts to correct the veer were unsuccessful, and he lost directional control; the airplane then exited the left side of the runway. The airplane impacted a ditch, crossed a taxiway, impacted a second ditch, and came to rest upright. The airplane’s nose gear collapsed and the forward fuselage was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
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 › Student pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 107 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 11 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 10, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,580 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 2011; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HCD Hutchinson MN at 1:20 am
- Destination: HCD Hutchinson MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 am from KHCD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 1, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N262RW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.