Mooney M20C accident near Reno, Nevada, September 17, 1998
On September 17, 1998 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N9438V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Reno, Nevada (Reno-Tahoe International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing crosswind condition, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1998 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · Reno-Tahoe International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9438V · registry record · serial 700071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger who occupied the right front seat said that the pilot experienced difficulty controlling the airplane on short final approach in the prevailing crosswind condition. The pilot reportedly asked the passenger for help and by the time he was able to get on the controls, the left wing had contacted the ground.
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: 418 hours in all; 123 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 318 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,450 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1998; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FUL Fullerton CA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: RNO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 18 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from RNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 LAX98LA314.