Mooney M20E accident near Guymon, Oklahoma, April 1, 2013
On April 1, 2013 at about 5:10 pm local time, a 1973 Mooney M20E, registered N9330M, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Guymon, Oklahoma (Guymon Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noninstrument-rated pilot's encounter with instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and his subsequent loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to take off in deteriorating weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2013 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Guymon, Oklahoma · Guymon Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E, built 1973 · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N9330M · no longer on the register · serial 1262
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported that, after landing for an en-route fuel stop, the noninstrument-rated pilot checked the weather and then departed for a cross-country flight; instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of departure. The burned wreckage was found 2 days later in a remote unpopulated area about 6 miles northwest of the departure airport. Examination of the accident site revealed ground scars and airplane damage consistent with a nearly vertical nose-down collision with terrain. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures, although the definitive operational status of the vacuum-driven instruments could not be determined. The weather information, which was corroborated by a witness, depicted deteriorating weather conditions with a lowering variable ceiling and the lack of a visible horizon in the area at the time of the accident. The low-visibility conditions were conducive to the noninstrument-rated pilot's development of spatial disorientation, and the airplane's near-vertical descent is consistent with the pilot's loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Visual illusion/disorientation › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 933 hours in all; 638 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 19, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,054 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 (piston); 2,054 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GUY Guymon CO at 5:04 pm
- Destination: FLY Peyton CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,904 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 5:03 pm from KGUY, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| 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.