Mooney M20E accident near Boulder, Colorado, December 15, 1984
On December 15, 1984 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N79349, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder, Colorado (Boulder Muni airport). It was an instructional 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 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
- December 15, 1984 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · Boulder Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N79349 · no longer on the register · serial 559
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT MADE AN OFF-ARPT FORCED LANDING AFTER THE ENGINE LOST POWER DURING TAKEOFF. THE FLT INSTRUCTOR AND THE PLT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION HAD FLOWN THIS ACFT FOR AN EARLIER SESSION OF TRAINING DURING THE MORNING. AFTER A BREAK AND BRIEFING THE ACFT WAS RESTARTED. DURING THE ENGINE RUN-UP THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND THE MIXTURE WAS LEANED FOR REMEDIAL ACTION BEFORE FURTHER RUN-UP AND CHECK. ENGINE HAD BEEN STARTED ON THE LEFT TANK WHICH WAS USED FOR THE PREVIOUS FLT. SOMETIME PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THE RIGHT TANK WAS SELECTED. AT ABOUT 350 FT AGL AFTER TAKEOFF THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE CFI TOOK OVER AND CHECKED MOST OF THE CONTROLS WITH NO MENTION OF THE TANK SELECTOR POSITIONING. THE ENGINE DID NOT REGAIN POWER BEFORE THE CFI CUT THE THROTTLE FOR THE LANDING.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 2,766 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 2,613 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,363 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 1984; 116 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V5 at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.