Mooney M20E accident near Lunenburg, Massachusetts, July 26, 2000
On July 26, 2000 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N5727Q, was destroyed in an accident near Lunenburg, Massachusetts. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in exhaustion of the fuel supply.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2000 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Lunenburg, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N5727Q · no longer on the register · serial 722
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated pilot contacted a Flight Service Station at 1404, and requested weather information for a flight from Parkersburg, West Virginia to Lawrence, Massachusetts. The pilot was advised of low ceilings and reduced visibility near his destination. The pilot then told the weather briefer that he might have to divert around the weather. The pilot "topped off" the fuel tanks and departed PKB. Witnesses near the accident site heard a low flying airplane, followed by the sound of an impact. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, and no fuel was found in the fuel tanks. A trip sheet and IFR Low Enroute charts were found in the wreckage, and were consistent with an IFR flight from PKB to LWM. However, a flight plan was not filed, and no approach plates were recovered. Additionally, the airplane manufacturer stated that at a power setting of 2,500 rpm, at 7,500 feet, the airplane's endurance was 4 hours and 26 minutes. The accident flight lasted approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.
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: 884 hours in all; 814 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PKB Parkersburg WV at 6:29 pm
- Destination: CON Concord NH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 145°F (63°C), dew point 142°F (61°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from FIT, 4 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.