Mooney MK20J accident near Gladewater, Texas, November 8, 1985
On November 8, 1985 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Mooney MK20J, registered N201QW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gladewater, Texas (Gladewater Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1985 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gladewater, Texas · Gladewater Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney MK20J
- Registration
- N201QW · registry record · serial 24-0236
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF THE HEADSET WIRING BECAME TANGLED IN THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE WHICH HAD BEEN ACCIDENTLY ACTIVATED. THEN THE NORMAL GEAR HANDLE WAS PUT IN THE UP POSITION, THE EMERGENCY GEAR CRANK ROTATED PULLING ON THE HEADSET AND THE EMERGENCY GEAR HANDLE BEAT ON THE PILOT'S LEFT LEG. THE STARTLED PLT REDUCED PWR AND EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING SHORT OF THE RWY WITH THE GEAR IN TRANSIT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 8,535 hours in all; 217 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,172 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1985; 592 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O7F Gladewater TX at 3:00 pm
- Destination: TPL Temple TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from GGG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW86FPA05.