Mooney M20J accident near Lubbock, Texas, August 25, 1996
On August 25, 1996 at about 10:09 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N4538H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lubbock, Texas (Lubbock International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate maintenance by maintenance personnel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power when the magneto disengaged from the engine. A related factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1996 · about 10:09 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · Lubbock International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N4538H · no longer on the register · serial 24-0795
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a climb to cruise, between 5,000 and 6,000 feet msl, on an IFR flight in VMC, the pilot 'declared an emergency due to his engine cutting out and he had a little manifold pressure/RPM.' The pilot tried to reach Reese AFB about 3 to 4 miles away; however, the airplane landed short of the airport in a cotton field. During the landing roll, the right main gear collapsed, and the right wing separated from the airframe at the forward attachment point. During a postaccident examination, an FAA inspector found that both of the magneto retention nuts that held the single drive magneto to the engine had loosened, and the magneto became disengaged from its drive gear. Maintenance records revealed that the magneto was overhauled and reinstalled during an engine overhaul on April 12, 1996. The airplane had flown 120 hours since the installation. According to the FAA inspector, the 'magneto was installed with the correct hardware.'
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,186 hours in all; 507 in this make and model; 78 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 4,051 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,597 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 1996; 120 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LBB TX at 9:57 pm
- Destination: LRU Las Cruces NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17R, 11,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from LBB, 10 miles away
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.