Mooney M20C accident near Little Rock, Arkansas, April 28, 1990
On April 28, 1990 at about 11:57 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N6824N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Little Rock, Arkansas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION. RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1990 · about 11:57 pm local time
- Place
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6824N · no longer on the register · serial 680117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS ABOUT 2 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY ON FINAL APPROACH, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE PILOT. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL TANKS TO BE EMPTY OF USABLE FUEL AFTER ABOUT 4 HOURS AND 20 MINUTES OF FLIGHT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,450 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,250 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,050 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HDI Cleveland TN at 7:35 pm
- Destination: LIT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from LIT, 2 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.