Rector Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Rector, Arkansas 72461
Saturday, September 7, 2002 12:14 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

During the left downwind pattern, the pilot slowed the airplane to 100 knots indicated airspeed and performed the gear extension procedure. The main landing gear position indicator in the cockpit showed that the gear was not down and locked. The pilot added power, recycled the main gear lever, and got a green indicator light on the instrument panel. While the pilot was performing the landing gear extension, the airplane descended from 1,100 feet msl to 800 feet msl. The pilot added power and the airplane "seemed to respond." The pilot added "two pumps of flaps" and turned the airplane to enter a left base pattern. During the turn, the airplane "seemed to rock and burble as a stall," and the pilot rolled wings level and added full throttle. Subsequently, during the turn from left base to final approach over the trees, the airplane "seemed to fall out with a high sink rate." The pilot leveled the wings, and retracted the main landing gear; however, the airplane struck the trees.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/7/2002
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1214
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Rector
Event State ARKANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 72461
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator --
On Ground Collision occurred ? --
Event Location Latitude 361500N
Event Location Longitude 0901910W
Event Location Airport Rector Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 7M8
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 281
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1153 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 28
Weather Observation Facility ID JBR
Elevation of weather observation facility 262
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.1
Density Altitude (feet) 1842
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 4
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 13997
NTSB Notification Source FAA Operations Center
NTSB Notification Date Sep 10 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1326
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Sep 30 2003 9:55AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Little Rock, Arkansas

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6369Q
NTSB Number FTW02LA253
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Mooney
Aircraft Model M20F
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 670451
Certified Max Gross Weight 2740
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 1 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 2094
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Allen R. Earls
Aircraft Owner Street Address 307 N Fordyce Street
Aircraft Owner City Rector
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 72416
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code TKX
Departure City Kennett
Departure State MO
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1200
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 7M8
Destination City Rector
Destination State AR
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Approach - VFR pattern - final approach
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred Yes
Date of most recent change to record Jul 21 2003 5:52PM
User who most recently changed record CASH
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 18
Runway Length 3405
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --