Mooney M20L accident near Hohenwald, Tennessee, November 4, 1993
On November 4, 1993 at about 3:35 am local time, a Mooney M20L, registered N132MP, was destroyed in an accident near Hohenwald, Tennessee (John A Baker Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE BY FLYING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS, THAT RESULTED IN HIS CONTINUATION OF VFR FLIGHT AT NIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM THE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 1993 · about 3:35 am local time
- Place
- Hohenwald, Tennessee · John A Baker Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20L · all M20Ls on the register
- Registration
- N132MP · no longer on the register · serial 26-0011
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT & HIS PASSENGER WERE RETURNING HOME ON A NIGHT, VFR, BUSINESS FLIGHT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT LOW CEILINGS & FOG PREVAILED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES & TERRAIN ABOUT 2 MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE DESTINATION (A VFR-ONLY AIRPORT). THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS ABOUT 500' IN LENGTH. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT INITIAL IMPACT WAS IN A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD SHOWED 6.114 UG/ML OF CHLORPHENIRAMINE, 0.272 UG/ML OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE, 13.5 UG/ML OF ACETAMINOPHEN, 30 MG/DL OF ACETALDEHYDE, & 10.3 UG/ML OF SALICYLATE (ASPIRIN). ALSO, 0.61 UG/ML OF HYDROCODONE WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S BILE. AN AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER (AME) REPORTED THE PILOT HAD SUFFERED FROM ALLERGIES & DEPRESSION. THE AME WAS ALSO THE PILOT'S PERSONAL PHYSICAN & PART OWNER OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. HE HAD REPEATEDLY PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS TO THE PILOT, AS THOSE FOUND DURING THE TOXICOLOGY TESTS, THAT WERE NOT APPROVED FOR USE WHILE OPERATING AN AIRCRAFT.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 738 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,004 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 23, 1993; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Porsche PFM 3200 NO3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CKV Clarksville TN at 2:56 am
- Destination: 0M3
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:20 am from MRC, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.