Mooney M20K accident near Knox, Indiana, October 15, 1991
On October 15, 1991 at about 1:15 am local time, a Mooney M20K, registered N3947H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Knox, Indiana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE #2 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO REACH A SUITABLE LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 1991 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Knox, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N3947H · no longer on the register · serial 25-0450
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 11,000 FEET THE PILOT NOTED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND '0' OIL PRESSURE. THE AIRPLANE WAS VECTORED TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A CORN FIELD AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED A BROKEN ROD ON THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,700 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2,582 as pilot in command; 1,863 on instruments
- 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: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-GBI (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northern Harvest Furniture,Inc
The flight
- Departed from: STL St. Louis MO at 11:45 pm
- Destination: 3CM Bay City MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.