Mooney M20C accident near Crete, Nebraska, February 20, 2022
On February 20, 2022 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1963 Mooney M20C, registered N6750U, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Crete, Nebraska (Crete Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 2022 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Crete, Nebraska · Crete Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C NO SERIES, built 1963 · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6750U · registry record · serial 2472
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, the pilot felt the airplane veer left, so he applied backpressure to the control yoke. The pilot reported that the airplane became airborne, settled back to the runway, became airborne again, then veered to the left and settled into a bean field off the side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. An airport surveillance video of the accident showed that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane’s nose rotated for takeoff and the airplane did not appear to gain any altitude as it continued down the runway. Still in a nose-high attitude, the airplane lifted off and then began to drift to the left before it settled back to the ground into the bean field. A visual examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot commanding the airplane to rotate before rotation speed, resulting in a loss of control.
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 control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 121 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 2 in the last 30 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,728.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 7, 2022; 2.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 2,726 hours total
The flight
- Destination: KFNB Falls City NE
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 4,201 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from KLNK, 15 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
6 documents, released by the NTSB on November 8, 2023. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Amended Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Video 1 | MOV file | Download |
| 6 | Video 2 | MOV file | Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.