Mooney M20F accident near Marietta, Oklahoma, April 6, 1997
On April 6, 1997 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N6492Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marietta, Oklahoma (Mcgehee Restaurant airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate short field takeoff. A factor was the pilot's lack of recent experience in short field takeoffs from a grass/turf runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1997 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marietta, Oklahoma · Mcgehee Restaurant · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6492Q · no longer on the register · serial 680034
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff, the airplane was 'at low speed with approximately 10 degrees of flaps and flew for about 5 seconds before veering to the right.' The pilot tried to realign the airplane with the runway; however, the left main gear struck the side of the runway and the airplane came to rest in a ravine along the side of the runway. The pilot stated that this accident could have been prevented by 'minimiz[ing] time spent in ground effect when taking off on a windy day (and gusty day) from grass runways.' The pilot reported that he had 38.2 hours in the M20F airplane; however, he had never done a short field takeoff from a grass/turf runway in this airplane.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 955 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 813 as pilot in command; 50 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,094 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 1997; 18 hours since
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: F71 Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,450 ft by 55 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
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.