Mooney M20J accident near Scottsdale, Arizona, November 22, 1996
On November 22, 1996 at about 3:26 am local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N5766K, was destroyed in an accident near Scottsdale, Arizona (Scottsdale airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot misjudged the landing flare and failed to maintain directional control after a hard bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 1996 · about 3:26 am local time
- Place
- Scottsdale, Arizona · Scottsdale · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N5766K · no longer on the register · serial 24-1626
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a straight-in approach, the aircraft landed hard, bounced, banked sharply and veered off the runway. As the engine accelerated and the aircraft began to level off, the aircraft settled, touching down momentarily in a dirt area next to the runway. The aircraft then became airborne and clipped the tail of a parked single engine aircraft and continued until it struck the side of a parked corporate jet. The pilot did not report having monitored the ATIS frequency, nor had the tower operator advised him that the VASI lights were inoperative. The pilot's logbook revealed no entries for the last 2 years; however, associates and family members familiar with the pilot reported that he flew regularly, sometimes on a daily basis. The pilot's recent night experience was not determined.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,453 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 1996; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CGZ Casa Grande AZ at 3:00 am
- Destination: SDL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 8,251 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:29 am from SDL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.