Mooney M20E accident near Westcliffe, Colorado, May 26, 1993
On May 26, 1993 at about 3:45 am local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N5741Q, was destroyed in an accident near Westcliffe, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL AS HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN AWAY FROM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. FACTORS WERE THUNDERSTORMS AND ASSOCIATED TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1993 · about 3:45 am local time
- Place
- Westcliffe, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N5741Q · no longer on the register · serial 729
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT INDICATED VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT DURANGO AND DENVER, AND WAS FORECAST ALONG HIS PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND WAS CLEARED TO MAINTAIN VFR ON TOP. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED DURANGO AT 2045 AND PROCEEDED WITHOUT KNOWN DIFFICULTY UNTIL IT WAS OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS NEAR WESTCLIFFE, COLORADO. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRPLANE IN A LEFT TURN AND DESCENDING OUT OF 16,400 FEET. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT THE 11,900 FOOT LEVEL. A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY REPORTED THAT ALTHOUGH VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT WESTCLIFFE, THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACTIVE ALONG THE MOUNTAIN RANGE AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: 1,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,208 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 1993; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DRO Durango CO at 2:46 am
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- 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.