Mooney M20C accident near St Charles, Missouri, October 20, 1997
On October 20, 1997 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N9449V, was substantially damaged in an accident near St Charles, Missouri (St Charles County Smartt airport). It was a ferry 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
failure of the alternator's front bearing, depletion of battery power, and failure of the emergency landing gear extension handcrank to engage during the pilot's attempt to perform the emergency procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 1997 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- St Charles, Missouri · St Charles County Smartt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9449V · registry record · serial 700051
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that the airplane had to be 'jump started' at the flight's origination. Shortly after departing, the pilot lost radio communications. Later in the flight, the pilot noted that both fuel gages read empty. The pilot elected to land at a closer airport than his planned destination. Approaching the airport, the pilot attempted to extend the landing gear. Nothing happened. The pilot flew north of the airport and went through the emergency landing gear extension procedure. The pilot returned to the airport and made a low pass over the runway, hoping someone would see him and give him a 'wave off' if the gear was not down. The pilot made another attempt to land, but had to perform a go-around for another airplane in the traffic pattern. On his final landing attempt, the pilot reduced airspeed and established himself on final for a straight-in approach to the runway. The airplane touched down on its 'belly' and slid to a stop on the runway. Examination of the airplane's alternator revealed that the front bearing was broken. Testing of the manual gear extension system revealed that the handcrank would not engage every time the handcrank engage lever was placed in the 'forward' position.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,012 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,945 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 1996; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,775 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GVW Kansas City MO at 7:50 pm
- Destination: K02 Perryville MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,801 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from STL, 12 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI98LA020.