Mooney M20E accident near Arcola, Texas, November 22, 1986
On November 22, 1986 at about 2:45 am local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N9347M, was destroyed in an accident near Arcola, Texas (Houston Southwest airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- November 22, 1986 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Arcola, Texas · Houston Southwest · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N9347M · no longer on the register · serial 1279
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT DEPARTED ARCOLA, TX, VFR, ON RWY 10, MADE A 180 DEGREE LEFT CLIMBING TURN AND ENTERED CLOUDS AT ABOUT THE BOUNDARY LINE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ARPT. THE RADAR OPERATOR STATED THE ACFT CONTINUED WESTBOUND ONE TO TWO MILES BEYOND THE ARPT THEN ENTERED AN ABRUPT LEFT DESCENDING TURN AND DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. THE ACFT DESCENDED FROM THE LOW CLOUDS INTO A SMALL CLEARING AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. IT CLIPPED THE TOP FROM TWO SMALL TREES IN THE CLEARING AND ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB. LIGHT GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE AND THEN THE ACFT IMPACTED AND SEPARATED A LARGE DEAD TREE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. IT THEN CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 20-25 FT AND COLLIDED WITH OTHER LARGE TREES. IT CONTINUED TRAVEL ABOUT 100 FT INTO A HEAVILY WOODED AREA AND CAME TO REST IN A NEAR VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,190 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 1,960 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,015 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 1986; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AXH Arcola TX at 2:35 am
- Destination: CFD Bryan TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded at 800 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 am from HOU, 15 miles away
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.
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.