Mooney M-20F accident near Mt. Gilead, Ohio, December 27, 2006
On December 27, 2006 at about 7:26 pm local time, a Mooney M-20F, registered N9596M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mt. Gilead, Ohio. It was an instructional 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
Both the pilot-in-command/aircraft owner and the flight instructor failed to recover from the stall and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Contributing to the accident was the failure to maintain stall speed which resulted in the subsequent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 27, 2006 · about 7:26 pm local time
- Place
- Mt. Gilead, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20F · all M-20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9596M · no longer on the register · serial 670173
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the PIC/aircraft owner to receive familarization training from a certified flight instructor (CFI) in his newly purchased airplane. The PIC was a recently retired airline pilot and had not flown general aviation airplanes for a number of years. Witnesses reported hearing the aircraft engine and seeing the airplane descending straight into the trees. One witness reported the airplane went "straight up or tried to" prior to descending. Another witness reported seeing the airplane "twist" a little prior to it descending. The accident site was in a heavily wooded area which was surrounded by open fields. The airplane impacted the terrain in a nose down attitude and the only trees observed to have been damaged were those immediately surrounding the impact site. The landing gear and flaps were observed in the extended position. Inspection of the airplane and engine failed to reveal any mechanical failure/malfunction which would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Radar data indicated that during the last 26 minutes of the flight, the airplane had been maneuvering with changes in heading, altitude, and groundspeed indicative of stalls and/or slow flight. The groundspeed, based on the radar data, varied from 164 knots to 39 knots. Just prior to the loss of radar contact, the ground speed based on the radar data was approximately 54 knots. According to the aircraft manufacturer the aircraft stall speeds, at a gross weight of 2,740 pounds, with flaps retracted is 68 miles per hour (mph) or 59 knots. With flaps set at 15 degrees the stall speed is 64 mph or 55 knots, and with flaps fully extended the stall speed is 62 mph or 54 knots. The speeds provided do not take into consideration the position of the landing gear.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,522 hours in all; 212 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,827 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2006; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4I3 Mt. Vernon OH at 5:45 pm
- Destination: 4I3
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MNN, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.