Mooney M20C accident near Fairview, North Carolina, November 3, 2009
On November 3, 2009 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N6896U, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Fairview, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 2009 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Fairview, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6896U · no longer on the register · serial 2573
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was about 8,000 feet above mean sea level on an instrument flight rules flight when the pilot reported a total loss of engine power to air traffic control (ATC). Upon request of the pilot, ATC provided vectors to a nearby airport. When it became apparent that the airplane would not make it, the pilot elected to land in an empty field divided by a line of trees. As the airplane made its final approach, its right wing impacted a tree, causing the airplane to swing around and impact the ground nose first before coming to rest inverted. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported no visual indication or odor of fuel at the accident site. The wreckage recovery crew also reported that no fuel was observed during the recovery process. A wreckage examination revealed no discrepancy with the airplane’s fuel system. The pilot stated that the airplane was topped off 17 days prior to the accident and that he flew four flights for a total of 4 hours, including the accident flight.
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
What happened, in order
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Engine shutdown during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,223 hours in all; 3,555 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 5,025 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 20, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,527 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: INT Winston-Salem NC at 9:19 pm
- Destination: AVL Asheville NC
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 10:41 pm from AVL, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.