Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K accident near Dawson, Georgia, May 20, 2021
On May 20, 2021 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1980 Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K, registered N9514R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Dawson, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly secure the No. 4 connecting rod bolt nut with a cotter pin, resulting in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 2021 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dawson, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K, built 1980
- Registration
- N9514R · no longer on the register · serial 25-0484
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while en route to the destination airport, the airplane lost total engine power. The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and began to divert to the nearest airport. The pilot recognized that the airplane would not be able to glide to the airport, and he decided to land on a road with the landing gear and flaps retracted. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. A postaccident teardown examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 connecting rod was fractured midspan. One of the No. 4 connecting rod bolt nuts was found in the oil pan and exhibited no signs of pre- or postaccident damage. The cotter pin for that nut was not found; the other No. 4 connecting rod nut was found secured to its bolt with the cotter pin installed. Additionally, all other connecting rod bolt nuts remained attached to their respective bolts with cotter pins in place. Thus, it is likely that the nut found in the oil pan was not secured with a cotter pin and that the unsecured No. 4 connecting rod bolt nut became loose over time and backed out of the connecting rod bolt during the accident flight, resulting in the total loss of engine power. Review of maintenance records revealed that the engine had accumulated about 1,240 hours of operation since major overhaul, which was completed more than 28 years before the accident. The engine manufacturer recommended that the engine be overhauled every 2,000 hours or 12 calendar years, whichever occurred first. The investigation could not determine when the No. 4 connecting rod nut was installed without a cotter pin.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Replacement › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,030 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,030 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 2, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,575.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 27, 2020; 25.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO 360 GB1 (piston); 3,576 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X04 Apopka FL at 12:15 pm
- Destination: BHM Birmingham AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 17 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from ABY, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KABY 201353Z 11017G23KT 10SM FEW028 26/16 A3031 RMK AO2 SLP262 T02560156
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Excerpts from Maintenance Records | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N9514R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.