Mooney M20C accident near Vernon, Texas, July 27, 1998
On July 27, 1998 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N9744M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vernon, Texas (Wilbarger County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fatigue cracking of the propeller blade which originated from corrosion pitting on its camber side, resulting in the blade tip separation during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1998 · about 2:50 pm local time · cases in 1998
- Place
- Vernon, Texas · Wilbarger County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9744M · registry record · serial 670038
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The propeller blade separated during cruise flight and the aircraft started 'shaking violently.' The pilot pulled the mixture control to idle-cut-off and put the aircraft into a steep climb to stop the propeller. The pilot then diverted to an airport where he landed safely. The remainder of the blade was sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C. A detailed examination of the fractured surface revealed crack arrest positions characteristic of fatigue cracking. Examination of the fatigue crack with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that corrosion pitting on the camber side of the blade was the origin of the fatigue crack. The propeller was last overhauled on November 16, 1989, and the last annual inspection was completed on January 1, 1998.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,185 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 775 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Training Center, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: FTG Denver CO at 12:15 pm
- Destination: DTO Denton TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9744M on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Mooney M-20 6,245 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Mooney 5,394 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D 1,057 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Wilbarger County · nearest airport
- Denton Enterprise Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,065 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,945 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/FTW99LA025.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.