Mooney M20K accident near Craig, Colorado, March 10, 1984
On March 10, 1984 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Mooney M20K, registered N231F, was destroyed in an accident near Craig, Colorado (Craig Moffat airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 10, 1984 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Craig, Colorado · Craig Moffat · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N231F · no longer on the register · serial 250182
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED & HEARD THE PLT MAKING AN APCH & SUBSEQUENT GO-AROUND OR PASS OVER THE GROUND AT THE ARPT. HEAVY FOG CONDITIONS EXISTED WHICH WERE BELOW IFR MINIMUMS. THE PLT FAILED TO REALIZE HIGHER TERRAIN EXSISTED NORTH OF THE ARPT. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE HIGHER SNOW COVERED TERRAIN. POST CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE ACFT FLT CONTROLS, STRUCTURE OR ENG PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 802 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 740 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 542 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 1983; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-GB1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 2:15 pm
- Destination: CAG Craig CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 7, 5,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 2 knots
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from NWS, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.