Mooney M20F accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, March 30, 1990
On March 30, 1990 at about 2:55 am local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N7061V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE PROPELLER BLADE WHICH RESULTED IN A FORCED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1990 · about 2:55 am local time
- Place
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7061V · registry record · serial 22-1403
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A DESCENT FOR LANDING AT 4500 FEET PART OF THE PROPELLER BLADE SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. THE PILOT WAS VECTORED TOWARD AN AIRPORT BUT HAD TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING SHORT. THE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED & THE ACFT SLID ONTO AN INTERSTATE HWY. IT HIT A PASSING VAN. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER BLADE FRACTURE WHICH REMAINED SHOWED THAT IT FAILED FROM FATIGUE WHICH INITIATED ON THE CAMBER SURFACE OF THE BLADE. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD BEEN OPERATING FROM AN AIRSTRIP WITH A STONE SURFACE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PBI West Palm Beach FL at 10:00 pm
- Destination: BNA Nashville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,700 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:16 am from BNA, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N7061V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.