Mooney M20F accident near Johnson City, Tennessee, October 28, 1992
On October 28, 1992 at about 1:00 am local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N2975L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Johnson City, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER MANAGEMENT OF THE FUEL SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 1992 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Johnson City, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2975L · no longer on the register · serial 670334
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ANY NAVIGATIONAL OR COMMUNICATION RADIOS, EXCEPT FOR A HAND HELD RADIO. THE WEATHER IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREA WAS MARGINAL FOR FLIGHT IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PILOT SEEMED TO BE IN A HURRY TO DEPART, THEY STATED THAT HE DID NOT PERFORM ANY PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED NEAR THE ORIGINAL POINT OF DEPARTURE NEARLY TWO AND ONE HALF HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL REMAINING IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED TO THE LEFT TANK.
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
- Flight time: 3,780 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,833 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 28, 1992; 3 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: 0A4 at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from TRI, 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.
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.