Mooney M-20F accident near Wood River, Alaska, August 2, 1991
On August 2, 1991 at about 4:30 am local time, a Mooney M-20F, registered N6848V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wood River, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD COP DUE TO FATIGUE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH SURFACE OF THE FORCED LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1991 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Wood River, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20F · all M-20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6848V · registry record · serial 221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND STATED THT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE PROPELLER STOPPED TURNING WITHIN SIX REVOLUTIONS WITHOUT WARNING. HE WAS FORCED TO LAND ON A SAND BAR ON THE WOOD RIVER. DURING THE LANDING THE NOSE GEAR AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CONNECTING ROD CAP FROM THE NUMBER 4 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 INCH FROM THE MATING SURFACE, ABEAM THE HEAD OF THE CONNECTING ROD BOLT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,408 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,260 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,461 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 19, 1990; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360AIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 10:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.