Mooney M20D accident near Edna, Texas, September 9, 1999
On September 9, 1999 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Mooney M20D, registered N5586Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Edna, Texas. 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
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 1999 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Edna, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20D · all M20Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5586Q · no longer on the register · serial 257
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted the terrain during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power during the cross country flight. The pilot diverted the flight toward the nearest airport; however, the airplane landed in a field approximately 3 miles south of the airport. During the pilot's preflight planning, fuel consumption was calculated at 8 gallons per hour with 45 gallons usable fuel. The pilot reported that the engine had recently been overhauled, and the 'fuel consumption was apparently greater than normal,' and he 'failed to account for this and ran out of fuel.'
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,175 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,175 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,275 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 17, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BPK Mountain Home AR at 12:10 pm
- Destination: 26R
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.