Mooney M20E accident near Falcon, Colorado, September 10, 1982
On September 10, 1982 at about 7:35 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N5666Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Falcon, Colorado (Meadow Lake airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1982 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Falcon, Colorado · Meadow Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N5666Q · no longer on the register · serial 689
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF DOWNWIND ON AN UPHILL GRADIENT RWY. THE ACFT ROTATED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE LIFTING OFF INTO A 40-45 DEG ANGLE OF CLIMB & STALLING. THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS STARTED ABEAM THE RUNUP PAD WHICH PROVIDED 3,500 FT FOR TAKEOFF. AN ADDITIONAL 700 FT OF BLACKTOP & 1,300 FT OF USABLE DIRT RWY WAS AVAILABLE SOUTH OF THE RUNUP PAD. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS COMPUTED TO BE 9,887 FT. FLAPS WERE NOT USED. PERFORMANCE DATA FROM THE MANUFACTURER USING FIGURES FOR A M20J (HIGHER PERFORMANCE ACFT) SHOWED THAT UNDER THE EXISTING CONDITIONS & USING TAKEOFF FLAPS OF 15 DEG APPROXIMATELY 2,406 FT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE TAKEOFF ROLL WITH AN ADDITIONAL 15,983 FT REQUIRED TO CLEAR A 50 FT OBSTACLE.
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: 572 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 558 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,922 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00V Falcon CO at 1:35 pm
- Destination: MLC Mcalister OK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 5,000 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 178°F (81°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from COS, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.