Mooney M20M accident near Alpine, Texas, February 10, 1996
On February 10, 1996 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20M, registered N9167J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alpine, Texas (Alpine Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a misjudged landing flare resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 1996 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Alpine, Texas · Alpine Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20M · all M20Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9167J · registry record · serial 27-0168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The landing flare was high and the aircraft dropped 10 to 12 feet for a hard landing. The airplane departed the runway striking a drainage ditch, collapsing the landing gear, and damaging the left wing spar.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 658 hours in all; 136 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 565 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,368 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-540-AF1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGR Houston TX at 1:30 pm
- Destination: E38 TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 5,016 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from MRP, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW96LA114.