Mooney M-20F accident near Parker, Pennsylvania, April 1, 2000
On April 1, 2000 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Mooney M-20F, registered N737HB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Parker, Pennsylvania. 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 pilot's failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout, due to his distraction with a flock of birds. A factor was the pilot's improper in flight decision to continue the simulated engine failure to too low of an altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2000 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Parker, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20F · all M-20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N737HB · registry record · serial 670469
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot decided to conduct a simulated engine failure over an agricultural field, with an intended recovery at '60-70 feet above the ground.' When he was satisfied that he 'made the field,' a flock of geese distracted him, and the airplane struck a wire. The pilot then returned to the originating airport to assess the damage to the airplane.
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: 1,081 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 11, 1999; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AXQ Clarion PA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: FKL Franklin PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 22,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from YNG, 42 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC00LA115.