Mooney M-20C accident near Waller, Texas, September 5, 1987
On September 5, 1987 at about 10:42 pm local time, a Mooney M-20C, registered N5590Q, was destroyed in an accident near Waller, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- September 5, 1987 · about 10:42 pm local time
- Place
- Waller, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20C · all M-20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5590Q · no longer on the register · serial 2984
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IT WAS REPORTED THAT A PRIVATE PILOT WAS RECEIVING INSTRUMENT FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS FROM A CFI WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HOWEVER, THE CFI STATED THAT HE WAS INVITED BY THE PVT PLT TO GO WITH HIM ON A SHORT FLIGHT AND THAT HE WAS ONLY A PASSENGER. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE PVT PLT REPORTEDLY STARTED DOING SLOW FLIGHT MANEUVERS AT 3000 FEET MSL. ACCORDING TO THE CFI THE PVT PLT MADE SEVERAL FLIGHT CONTROL INPUTS WHICH TERMINATED WITH THE AIRCRAFT BEING IN AN INVERTED SPIN. WHEN THE PVT PLT MADE NO ATTEMPTS TO RECOVER, THE CFI MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE HAD THE AIRCRAFT. HE STATED THAT THE PVT PLT HAD A COMPLETELY BLANK LOOK ON HIS FACE AND WOULD NOT LET GO OF THE CONTROLS. HE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. HE THEN FOUGHT THE PVT PLT UNTIL HE GAINED CONTROL. HOWEVER, IT WAS TOO LATE TO AVOID IMPACT WITH TREES, WHICH RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 781 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 774 as pilot in command; 404 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,582 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 22, 1987; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Tomball TX at 9:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.