Mooney M20J accident near Collinsville, Oklahoma, April 7, 2013
On April 7, 2013 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N57672, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Collinsville, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of control of the airplane for reasons that could not be determined because an examination of the airplane did not find an abnormality that would have precluded normal operations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2013 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Collinsville, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N57672 · no longer on the register · serial 24-1493
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were on the return leg of a cross-country flight. Before departing from his home airfield, the pilot filed the outbound and return legs for the instrument flight rules flight as, "GPS direct." The surface wind was reported as 17 knots gusting to 24 knots with a ceiling at 2,000 feet. Shortly after departure, the pilot contacted air traffic control and was given a clearance to 6,000 feet and an amended flight routing. About 5 minutes later, the airplane disappeared from radar, and the pilot did not respond to the air traffic controller's radio call. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane at a steep angle and at a high rate of speed before it impacted terrain. The wreckage was largely fragmented, and a postcrash fire consumed a large portion of the airplane. The airplane's bottom skin panel was located about 1.4 miles from the accident site; because of its location, it is likely the airplane's skin panel separated during the high-speed descent. Review of radar data revealed the airplane climbed to about 4,300 feet and then entered a right descending turn before disappearing from radar. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the pilot's loss of control could not be determined. An autopsy was not conducted; therefore, it would not be determined whether a medical or physiological issue contributed to the accident.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,686.6 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,819 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2012
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KTUL Tulsa OK at 10:47 pm
- Destination: KMHK Manhattan KS
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 17 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; ovct at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KTUL, 10 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.