Mooney M-18L accident near Lexington, Kentucky, September 29, 2006
On September 29, 2006 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Mooney M-18L, registered N397A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, Kentucky. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of both magnetos which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2006 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-18L · all M-18Ls on the register
- Registration
- N397A · registry record · serial 58
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After the airplane reached its cruising altitude of 3,000 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot cycled the magnetos and applied carburetor heat; however, engine power was not regained. The pilot then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted a fence. Examination of the engine revealed the magnetos did not produce spark when tested. The magnetos were disassembled and it was noted that the left magneto had a shorted condenser and the right magneto points were almost closed. The right magneto points were properly adjusted; the magneto was tested and produced spark. According to the aircraft maintenance records, the magnetos were last overhauled 40 years prior to the accident, and had accumulated 500 hours of operation since then.
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: 240 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 169 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,160 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 780 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I39 Lexington KY at 5:00 pm
- Destination: I39
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,900 ft; scat at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from LEX, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC06LA231.