Mooney M20F accident near Moriarty, New Mexico, May 24, 1998
On May 24, 1998 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N6476Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Moriarty, New Mexico (Moriarty airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 unfavorable wind condition, and failure of the pilot to adequately compensate for the wind condition during the landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1998 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Moriarty, New Mexico · Moriarty · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6476Q · registry record · serial 680018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UNICOM advised the pilot that the wind was from 270 degrees at 10 knots. Runway 26 (7,700 ft. x 75 ft., asphalt) was the active runway. Two 'notches' of flaps and an approach speed between 80 and 85 mph were used. The pilot said that just before touchdown, approximately 10 feet above the ground, he 'noticed the right wing quickly and suddenly rotate down approximately 45 degrees.' He then felt the 'right gear wheel strike the ground. The aircraft then bounced to the left gear(,) then settled to the runway without striking the nose gear or the tail . . . The aircraft did not yaw prior to the right wing striking the ground.' A sailplane pilot, who landed behind the airplane, reported experiencing 'an immediate and sudden updraft at the threshold of runway 26 that increased (my) altitude 15 feet.'
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
- Flight time: 568 hours in all; 547 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 450 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,699 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 11, 1997; 21 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: AEG Albuquerque NM at 4:50 pm
- Destination: 0E0
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 7,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:57 pm from ABQ, 30 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW98LA246.