Mooney M20C accident near Olathe, Kansas, July 28, 1988
On July 28, 1988 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N6722U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olathe, Kansas (Olathe 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1988 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Olathe, Kansas · Olathe · 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
- N6722U · no longer on the register · serial 2454
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT SAID THE ENGINE FAILED. HE SAID HE PUMPED THE THROTTLE AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE ACFT RETURNED TO THE RUNWAY. THE ENGINE RESTART PROPELLED THE AFT BACK INTO THE AIR. THE PLT FELT HE HAD SUFFICIENT POWER TO CONTINUE. UPON REACHING ABOUT 100 FEET AGL, HE BEGAN A 180 DEGREE DOWNWIND TURN. ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN. THE PLT SAID HE TIGHTENED THE TURN, THE STALL HORN SOUNDED, AND THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION WAS PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE AND FUEL SYSTEM AND THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED.
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: 450 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 415 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,159 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 1987; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IXD Olathe KS at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 7,339 ft by 190 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:02 pm from IXD, 1 miles away
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.