Mooney M20K accident near Tullahoma, Tennessee, January 3, 2024
On January 3, 2024 at about 6:26 pm local time, a 1979 Mooney M20K, registered N231GG, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Tullahoma, Tennessee (Tullahoma Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 2024 · about 6:26 pm local time
- Place
- Tullahoma, Tennessee · Tullahoma Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K, built 1979 · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N231GG · registry record · serial 25-0171
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, during a cruise climb about 2,000 ft above ground level, the engine suddenly lost all power without any warning. The pilot attempted to glide the airplane back to the departure airport and restart the engine; however, the engine did not restart and the airplane impacted hilly terrain about 1/2-mile before reaching the runway. The engine’s most recent overhaul was about 30 years before the accident, and it accrued about 692 hours during that time. Additionally, the airplane had not been flown for more than 2 years before the accident flight. The pilot did not purchase fuel and the age of the fuel in the airplane could not be determined. During wreckage recovery, about 16 gallons of fuel (8 gallons per side) were drained from the airplane’s fuel tanks. The fuel was blue, clear, and consistent with 100LL aviation gasoline. No visible contamination was observed. Subsequent examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies, with the exception of an inoperative right magneto; however, that did not explain a total loss of engine power without any engine roughness.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 416 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 392 as pilot in command; 207 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 25, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,406 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 3, 2024; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-GB-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: UOS Sewanee TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,501 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:26 pm from THA, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KTHA 031835Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 04/M01 A3007
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 2, 2025. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memoranda for the Record | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts from Maintenance Records | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.