Mooney M20A accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming, August 11, 1995
On August 11, 1995 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20A, registered N8378E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming (Sweetwater County airport). It was a business 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 CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS INCLUDE THE UNEVEN RUNWAY CONDITION, THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE CROWNED CONDITION NOT BEING DISSEMINATED BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL, AND THE INADEQUATE REVIEW/INSPECTION OF THE CONDITION BY FAA AIRPORT PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1995 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Springs, Wyoming · Sweetwater County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20A · all M20As on the register
- Registration
- N8378E · no longer on the register · serial 1556
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
INTERSECTING RUNWAYS 09-27 AND 03-21 WERE CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION, AND A PARALLEL TAXIWAY FOR RUNWAY 09-27 HAD BEEN APPROVED FOR USE AS A TEMPORARY RUNWAY. DURING TAKEOFF ON THE TEMPORARY RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME PREMATURELY AIRBORNE WHEN IT CROSSED THE CROWNED INTERSECTING TAXIWAY. DURING THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH AN AIRPORT INFORMATION SIGN AND SKIDDED TO REST. NO INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO PILOTS BY THE AIRPORT REGARDING THE CROWNED CONDITION OF THE TAXIWAY, AND NO FAA AIRPORTS PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE TEMPORARY RUNWAY NOTING THE CROWNED CONDITION.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 308 hours in all; 232 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 259 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,416 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 7, 1995; 112 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RKS at 8:45 pm
- Destination: GCC Gillette WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 7,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:48 pm from RKS
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.