Mooney M20A accident near White Bear, Minnesota, July 6, 1997
On July 6, 1997 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20A, registered N8394E, was destroyed in an accident near White Bear, Minnesota. 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
pilot incapacitation due to a stroke.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1997 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- White Bear, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20A · all M20As on the register
- Registration
- N8394E · no longer on the register · serial 1572
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About four minutes after takeoff, a person in the airplane contacted the airport tower stating that they had an emergency. The speaker's voice was garbled and the emergency was not clearly stated. The tower controller cleared the airplane to return to the airport and to report downwind. The airplane flew over the tower and then flew out of sight. The pilot did not respond to any subsequent radio calls. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying about 30 feet above the surface of the lake. The airplane entered a steep climbing right-hand turn. The witnesses said the airplane climbed to about 50 feet above the water before descending into the water. One witness reported seeing the airplane contact the water with its right wing and engine at the same time. The airframe and engine examination revealed no anomalies that would have prevented flight. The medical examiner's autopsy showed the pilot suffered an intra cerebral hemorrhage (stroke).
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: 246 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 166 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,998 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1997; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Anoka MN at 11:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from ANE, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.