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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1998 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Vernon, Texas · Wilbarger County · 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 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW99LA025.