Mooney M20F accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas, November 27, 1997
On November 27, 1997 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N2954L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas (Stuttgart Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to activate the runway lights, which led to his selection of a closed/abandoned runway for the landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the unlatched cabin door, and the lack of lighting conditions at dusk.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 1997 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stuttgart, Arkansas · Stuttgart Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2954L · no longer on the register · serial 670487
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the cabin door popped open while in cruise flight approximately 10 minutes after takeoff. The pilot added that 'the airplane began to buffet and vibrate.' He further stated that 'the wind noise in the cabin made communications difficult' and the pilot's 12 year old son, who was seated in the right front seat, 'became excited and scared.' The pilot asked Little Rock Approach Control for a vector to the Stuttgart Municipal Airport to land and secure the cabin door. During arrival over the airport, the pilot circled the airport as he attempted to activate the pilot controlled runway lights by clicking on frequency 122.9; however, the pilot was unable to activate any of the runway lights. UNICOM frequency 122.8 MHz was listed as the published frequency to activate the runway lights. The pilot attempted to land on a runway that had been closed and abandoned for over 10 years; its surface was reported to have been partly torn off.
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: 521 hours in all; 187 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 378 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,180 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 1997; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5M1 De Witt AR at 11:00 pm
- Destination: LIT Little Rock AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from SGT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.