Mooney M-20-J accident near Kerrville, Texas, October 9, 1987
On October 9, 1987, a Mooney M-20-J, registered N57257, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kerrville, Texas. It was a personal 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
- October 9, 1987
- Place
- Kerrville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20-J · all M-20-Js on the register
- Registration
- N57257 · registry record · serial 241605
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A ROAD SIGN AND THE GRND DURING AN OFF ARPT EMERGENCY LNDG FOLLOWING A COMPLETE ENG FAILURE DURING DESCENT. PLT STATED THAT ABOUT 20 MINS OUT FROM HIS DEST, THE OIL PRESS DECREASED INTO THE YELLOW ARC, BUT OIL TEMP AND CYL HEAD TEMP REMAINED NORMAL. DURING THE DESCENT, OIL PRESS DECREASED INTO THE RED AND THE ENG STARTED VIBRATING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE ENG SEIZED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE #4 PISTON CONNECTING ROD HAD SEPARATED DUE TO OIL STARVATION, RESULTING IN SEVERE INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENG. TWO QTS OF HEAVY, BLACK OIL WERE DRAINED FRM THE ENG. THE CAUSE OF THE OIL STARVATION WAS NOT DETERMINED DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THE PLTS STATED THAT THEY HAD DEPARTED 4.5 HRS PRIOR TO THE ACDT WITH SLIGHTLY OVER 5 QTS OF OIL IN THE ENG. ENG HAD BEEN OPERATED A TOTAL OF 320 HRS.
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
- Flight time: 234 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 320 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 20, 1986; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 7:30 pm
- Destination: ERV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.