Mooney M20M accident near Greenwood, Indiana, July 11, 2014
On July 11, 2014 at about 6:19 pm local time, a 1991 Mooney M20M, registered N72FG, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Greenwood, Indiana (Greenwood Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Also causal to the accident was the pilots' decision to continue the takeoff despite early indications of engine anomalies.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2014 · about 6:19 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwood, Indiana · Greenwood Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20M NO SERIES, built 1991 · all M20Ms on the register
- Registration
- N72FG · registry record · serial 27-0118
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and flight instructor were repositioning the airplane for an annual inspection, and the private pilot planned to receive instrument flight training during the trip. Witnesses reported that the engine sounded good as the airplane taxied to the runway and during the engine run-up. However, several witnesses reported observing blue smoke trailing the airplane at the beginning of the takeoff and hearing the engine "popping" and "misfiring." The airplane was 50 to 100 ft above the ground and about one-quarter of the way down the 5,100-ft-long runway when its nose lowered slightly. Witnesses stated that they thought the pilot was going to land the airplane back on the remaining runway, but the airplane's nose then rose, and the airplane continued climbing. The airplane was described as being slow and "wallowing," with the nose pitching up and down slightly as it continued to climb to a maximum altitude of about 100 to 150 ft above the ground. The right wing dropped, and the airplane descended, contacting a garage and two houses before coming to rest in a residential backyard where a postimpact fire ensued. A postaccident examination of the airplane, engine, and engine components did not reveal any anomalies 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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 434.7 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 22.5 in the last 90 days; 13.3 in the last 30 days; 358.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 24, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,610 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 1,351 as pilot in command; 460 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,823.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 2013; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,369 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 1,798 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HFY Greenwood IN at 6:19 pm
- Destination: GGG Longview TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from IND, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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.