Mooney M20F accident near Festus, Missouri, May 31, 1996
On May 31, 1996 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N9532M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Festus, Missouri (Festus Memorial airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's not maintaining proper alignment with the runway and his inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1996 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Festus, Missouri · Festus Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9532M · no longer on the register · serial 670109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was unable to regain alignment with the runway after a gust of wind moved the airplane to the left of the runway. The left wing dragged on the ground, the airplane turned to the left, and impacted a hangar. The airplane was landing on runway 18. The pilot said the wind was from 190 to 270 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 20 knots at the time of 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 605 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,227 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 7, 1995; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,810 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X40 Inverness FL at 10:00 am
- Destination: FES
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,202 ft by 49 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from CGI, 70 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.