Mooney M20J accident near El Paso, Texas, November 22, 1983
On November 22, 1983 at about 1:14 am local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201TH, was destroyed in an accident near El Paso, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- November 22, 1983 · about 1:14 am local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201TH · registry record · serial 24-0328
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AT 4380 FT MSL. THE PLT HAD CALLED THE CONTROL TOWER IN EL PASO AND ADVISED THAT HE WAS AT 8500 FT AND WOULD HAVE TO START DESCENDING DUE TO WEATHER IN THE AREA. THE PLT WAS VFR AND NO FLT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. HE WAS ADVISED OF GROUND ELEVATIONS IN THE AREA OF 4500 FT AND ADVISED TO REMAIN VFR. ABOUT 4 MINUTES LATER RADIOAND RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST AND A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED 3 HOURS LATER. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT ABOUT A 25-30 DEGREE NOSE DOWN AND RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE WHILETRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. IT BOUNCED AND TRAVELED ABOUT 100 YARDS BEFORE 2ND IMPACT WHERE IT ROLLED INVERTED. ALTHOUGH THE PLT HAD ABOUT 1300 HOURS TOTAL FLYING TIME HE HAD ONLY FLOWN 7 HOURS IN THE LAST 9 YEARS. THE ACCIDENT ACFTHAD JUST BEEN BOUGHT BY THE 59 YEAR OLD PLT. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES PRIOR TO IMPACT. LOCAL RESIDENTS REPORTED LIGHT RAIN & SNOW FLURRIES IN THE AREA.
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: 1,308 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,005 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 1983; 154 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GLH Greenville MS
- Destination: ELP Elpaso TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from ELP, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.