Mooney M20C N6750U accident near Crete, Nebraska

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff.

NTSB analysis

During the takeoff roll, the pilot felt the airplane veer left, so he applied backpressure to the control yoke. The pilot reported that the airplane became airborne, settled back to the runway, became airborne again, then veered to the left and settled into a bean field off the side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings.

An airport surveillance video of the accident showed that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane’s nose rotated for takeoff and the airplane did not appear to gain any altitude as it continued down the runway. Still in a nose-high attitude, the airplane lifted off and then began to drift to the left before it settled back to the ground into the bean field.

A visual examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot commanding the airplane to rotate before rotation speed, resulting in a loss of control.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA132 for the full record.