Mooney M20C accident near Natchez, Mississippi, July 30, 2005
On July 30, 2005 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N6555U, was destroyed in an accident near Natchez, Mississippi (Hardy-Anders Field Natchez). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent to ground impact. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of experience in complex airplanes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2005 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Natchez, Mississippi · Hardy-Anders Field Natchez · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6555U · no longer on the register · serial 2338
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane with the pilot and three passengers on board was departing for a cross country flight. A pilot witness was standing in front of the airport office building as the accident airplane was taking off on runway 31. He stated that the airplane "started a normal looking departure and climb out." However, "within a few hundred feet," he noticed the climb out was steeper than normal. The airplane started banking to the left while it continued to climb. The airplane "appeared to stall while still banking left," nosed down and impacted the ground. According to the surviving passenger, the takeoff roll was normal. Shortly after takeoff, it felt to her like the right wing and nose of the airplane were abruptly lifted up. She recalled that it was like someone pulled her backwards by her shoulders. At the same time, the pilot made a loud exclamation. She looked toward the pilot and could see through his side window that their height was just above the trees parallel to the runway. She also saw the ground, felt the airplane veer toward the left, and knew they were going to impact the ground. Examination of the wreckage at the accident site indicated the airplane impacted the ground in a left wing low and nose low attitude. No evidence was found of pre-impact mechanical discrepancies with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation. According to his logbook, the pilot had accumulated about 126 hours total flight time of which 3.4 hours were in the accident airplane. No record of the pilot receiving any flight instruction from a certified flight instructor in the accident airplane or in any other complex airplane was found. In the endorsements section of the pilot's logbook, the endorsement required by 14 CFR Part 61.31(e), which certifies proficiency to operate a complex airplane, was blank.
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: 126 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 53 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,758 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005; 35 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: KHEZ Natchez MS at 3:45 pm
- Destination: KT47 Wichita Falls TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from HEZ, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.