Mooney M20 accident near Fort Worth, Texas, June 1, 1985
On June 1, 1985 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20, registered N872B, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas (Luck Field). 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 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
- June 1, 1985 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Luck Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20 · all M20s on the register
- Registration
- N872B · no longer on the register · serial 1034
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CONTACTED AN IRON POLE AND A HANGAR FOLLOWING A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING ROLL. THE PLT REPORTED THAT AFTER AN APRX 300 FT GROUND ROLL, THE ACFT VEERED LEFT. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED AN IRON POLE WHICH RESULTED IN THE ACFT ROTATING FURTHER TO THE LEFT AND CONTACTING THE HANGAR.
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: 117 hours in all; 19 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 28, 1985; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,500 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.