Mooney M20M accident near Culpeper, Virginia, October 13, 1990
On October 13, 1990 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Mooney M20M, registered N987CM, was destroyed in an accident near Culpeper, Virginia (Culpeper airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INTERGRANULAR CRACKING (FATIGUE) FAILURE OF THE EXHAUST CLAMP, WHICH RESULTED IN A DISCONNECTED EXHAUST MANIFOLD (TAILPIPE), AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 1990 · about 7:10 pm local time · cases in 1990
- Place
- Culpeper, Virginia · Culpeper · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20M · all M20Ms on the register
- Registration
- N987CM · registry record · serial 27-0013
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT INDICATED THAT DURING AN APPROACH TO LAND, HE NOTED THE SMELL OF A POSSIBLE OVERHEAT CONDITION, BUT THE ODOR WENT AWAY. HE CHECKED THE ACFT AFTER LANDING, BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DISCREPANCIES. HE TOOK OFF SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, AND DURING THE CLIMBOUT, SMOKE BEGAN FILLING THE CABIN. THE SMOKE EMERGED FROM THE AREA OF THE RUDDER PEDALS AND FLAMES APPEARED SOON AFTERWARDS. THE PLT TURNED BACK TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED GEARUP. THE ACFT SLID OFF THE RUNWAY AND INTO A DITCH. A FIRE ERUPTED, BUT THE PLT AND PAX ESCAPED THE ACFT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED INTERGRANULAR CRACKING OF THE CLAMP THAT CONNECTED THE TURBOCHARGER AND TAILPIPE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 193 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 1,885 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 199 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 18, 1990; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,368 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AFIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W49 at 7:10 pm
- Destination: W10 Manassas VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from IAD, 15 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N987CM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Mooney M-20 6,245 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Mooney 5,394 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AFIA 5,073 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Rosario Seaplane Base · nearest airport
- Whidbey Air Park Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Virginia 1,361 since 1982 · 229 in the last ten years
- Virginia 5,971 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/BFO91LA003.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.