Mooney M20F accident near Cottonwood, Arizona, September 8, 2024
On September 8, 2024 at about 1:50 pm local time, a 1966 Mooney M20F, registered N9628M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Cottonwood, Arizona (Cottonwood airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s evasive maneuver to avoid birds while on final approach at a low altitude, which resulted in the airplane colliding with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2024 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- Cottonwood, Arizona · Cottonwood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F, built 1966 · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9628M · registry record · serial 670205
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on final approach to the destination airport. Witnesses observed the airplane flying at a low altitude and heard the engine operating as it maneuvered toward the airport. The airplane appeared to encounter a flock of about 20 birds that rose from a dead tree about 35 ft above the ground. The airplane pitched up and turned left, consistent with the pilot attempting an evasive maneuver to avoid the birds. The airplane collided with a tree and residence. The pilot succumbed to his injuries and could not be interviewed. No bird DNA or feather fragments were detected in samples taken from the airplane. Although no physical evidence of a bird strike was identified, witness observations indicated that the pilot maneuvered to avoid birds that had risen into the airplane’s flight path. Witnesses observed the airplane flying at a low altitude as it approached the airport. The pilot likely did not have sufficient altitude to recover from the evasive maneuver before the airplane collided with a tree.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during enroute defining event
- Birdstrike during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Response/compensation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,215 hours in all
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KDVT Phoenix AZ at 1:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14/3, 4,250 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 am from KPRC, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 WPR24LA305.