Mooney M20E accident near Neenah, Wisconsin, July 4, 2020
On July 4, 2020 at about 3:30 am local time, a 1966 Mooney M20E, registered N3440X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Neenah, Wisconsin (Brennand airport). 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced, hard landing and subsequent runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2020 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Neenah, Wisconsin · Brennand · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E No Series, built 1966 · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N3440X · registry record · serial 1130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a landing at night, the airplane floated, bounced twice, and landed hard past the pilot's designated landing abort point. The pilot applied brakes, but the airplane overran the runway and slid to a stop upright on a road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing area overshoot during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 170 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 91 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 16, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,957.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 2020; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 4,003 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ATW Appleton WI at 2:30 am
- Destination: 79C Neenah WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,450 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 am from KATW, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 10, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.