Mooney M20E accident near Aspen, Colorado, March 4, 1982
On March 4, 1982 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N5755Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Aspen, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1982 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Aspen, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N5755Q · no longer on the register · serial 736
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A TREE ON TOP OF A 12,000 FOOT MOUNTAIN AFTER IT HAD DEPARTED ASPEN, EN ROUTE TO DENVER. THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE CLIMBED OVER THE MOUNTAIN WITHOUT PROBLEMS. THE PILOT ONLY REMEMBERS THE AIRSPEED DECAYING AND LOWERING FULL FLAPS PRIOR TO COLLIDING WITH THE TREE. BOTH OCCUPANTS RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES DURING THE ACCIDENT BUT WERE NOT RESCUED FOR THREE DAYS. THE PASSENGER DIED FROM HYPOTHERMIA AND THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS FROST BITE OF BOTH FEET.
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: 6,050 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 2,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,693 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Aspen CO at 2:40 pm
- Destination: Denver CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 315° at 30 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- 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.