Mooney M20J incident near Beaumont, Texas, June 29, 2006
On June 29, 2006 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N5662M, suffered minor damage in an incident near Beaumont, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper installation of the propeller governor by maintenance personnel, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2006 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Beaumont, Texas
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N5662M · registry record · serial 24-1393
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 257-hour private pilot was on initial climb after takeoff when the airplane's propeller RPM began an uncommanded fluctuation followed by an internal failure of the engine. Although the engine continued to run, it was emitting smoke and shaking "violently." The pilot elected to shut down the engine and perform a landing to a grassy field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a barbwire fence. A teardown examination of the engine was performed. The propeller governor was found installed contrary to the engine manufacture's Parts Catalog and Service Instructions. The improper governor installation allowed the engine oil to vent overboard, which resulted in oil starvation and failure of a number four piston to crankshaft connecting rod cap bolt. Subsequently the number four connecting rod was forced through the engine crankcase and engine power was lost.
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: 257 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 194 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,683 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2006; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BPT Beaumont TX at 11:00 pm
- Destination: T90 Winnie/Stowell TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BPT, 1 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.