Mooney M20C accident near Front Royal, Virginia, April 29, 2004
On April 29, 2004 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N99NH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Front Royal, Virginia (Warren County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 directional control during an aborted landing. A factor in this accident was the crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2004 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Front Royal, Virginia · Warren County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N99NH · no longer on the register · serial 2364
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on approach to land on runway 9, a 2,993-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot encountered a gust of wind just prior to landing. The airplane landed hard, and began to bounce. After the second bounce, the pilot elected to abort the landing; however, the airplane departed the left side of the runway, and struck an embankment. Winds reported at an airport located about 15 miles south of the accident site, about 10 minutes before the accident, were from 170 degrees at 11 knots. The reported winds about 10 minutes after the accident, were from 160 degrees at 10 knots, with 16 knot gusts.
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: 395 hours in all; 80 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,779 hours
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VJI Abingdon VA
- Destination: FRR Front Royal VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,993 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 10:40 pm from OKV, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.