Mooney M20F accident near Norwood, Colorado, March 20, 2005
On March 20, 2005 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered XBFRU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Norwood, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the reported partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2005 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Norwood, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- XBFRU · no longer on the register · serial 22-0050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While descending, the airplane's engine started "missing" and began to lose power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot declared an emergency and executed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the nose landing gear collapsed and the outboard 4 feet of the left wing was bent upward. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation. The reason for the reported partial loss of engine power was not determined.
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: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,428 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 1,363 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LBB Lubbock TX at 3:10 pm
- Destination: TEX Telluride CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 1.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft; scat at 300 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 7:29 pm from KTEX, 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.