Mooney M20E accident near Prattsburg, New York, August 15, 1999
On August 15, 1999 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N3243F, was destroyed in an accident near Prattsburg, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Propeller blade separation, resulting from fatigue cracking initiated by intergranular corrosion. A factor was the lack of propeller blade corrosion inspection requirements.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1999 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Prattsburg, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N3243F · no longer on the register · serial 670036
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot heard a loud bang, then saw an object go by the windshield. The airplane started to shake so badly that the door popped open, and oil appeared on the windshield. The pilot shut down the engine, the shaking ceased, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a hilly field. Post-flight examination revealed that approximately 27 inches of one propeller blade was missing. Examination of the remaining fracture surface revealed features typical of fatigue cracking, and metallographic examination of the origin area revealed the grain structure and the presence of intergranular corrosion cracks. Review of maintenance logbooks failed to reveal any indication of 'prop strike,' overspeed, or any other catastrophic event to the propeller. On August 20, 1989, the propeller was removed for overhaul, and for compliance with AD 77-12-06. Since then, it had logged about 530 hours of operation. There were no requirements for mandatory propeller corrosion inspections.
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: 324 hours in all; 195 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 167 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,412 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 1998; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELM Elmira NY at 6:40 pm
- Destination: ROC Rochester NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from ELM, 28 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.