On July 19, 1999, a Mooney M20F (registration N7141V) was involved in an aviation accident near Marshall, MN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the inadvertent stall and the checklist not followed by the pilot. Contributing factors were the baggage door not secured and the precautionary landing attempt by the pilot. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
While awaiting IFR clearance, a pilot shut down the engine, exited the aircraft to retrieve cleaning supplies, and did not secure the baggage door. The door opened after lift-off, leading to a stalled approach and collision with a drainage ditch.
Event Description
While waiting for an instrument flight rules clearance at the departure end of runway 12, the pilot shut down the engine and exited the airplane to obtain cleaning materials from the airplane's baggage compartment. The pilot reported that he did not double-check the baggage door and did not utilize a checklist. After reboarding and starting the engine, the aircraft lifted off. At a point located approximately halfway down runway 12, the baggage door opened.
Attempted Return and Stall
The pilot attempted to return to land on runway 20. During the approach, he overshot the turn to final. While in a 45-degree banked turn with the landing gear down and flaps extended 10 degrees, the aircraft stalled. The pilot applied power and initiated a recovery, but the aircraft touched down short of runway 20. The aircraft then nosed into a drainage ditch.