Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K accident near Augusta, Georgia, April 11, 2011
On April 11, 2011 at about 11:13 am local time, a Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K, registered N777CV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Augusta, Georgia (Augusta Regional airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s reported fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2011 · about 11:13 am local time
- Place
- Augusta, Georgia · Augusta Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K
- Registration
- N777CV · registry record · serial 25-0149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight at approximately 0300 local time. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at his destination airport where the pilot requested and received an instrument flight rules clearance for an instrument approach. The pilot conducted two missed approaches but fog precluded him from making visual contact with the runway before diverting to another airport. The pilot conducted an instrument approach at the alternate airport and, just prior to landing at approximately 0700 local time, realized that he had failed to extend the landing gear. The airplane subsequently landed gear-up, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that fatigue, weather conditions, and the distraction of the diversion contributed to the error.
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
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Not used/operated
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,723 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2010
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LFT Lafayette LA at 8:00 am
- Destination: BXE Waynesboro GA
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 35, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from AGS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N777CV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.