Mooney M20J accident near Austin, Texas, January 22, 1992
On January 22, 1992 at about 2:05 am local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201YR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Austin, Texas (Austin Executive airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT DESCENDING BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE AND NOT PERFORMING THE BRIEFED MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE ALONG WITH THE DARK NIGHT, FOG, DRIZZLE, AND LOW CEILING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 1992 · about 2:05 am local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · Austin Executive
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201YR · no longer on the register · serial 24-0734
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT EXECUTED A VOR/DME INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND DESCENDED BELOW THE PUBLISHED MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE OF 579 FEET AGL. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE LANDING. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DEPART AND MANEUVER AT LOW LEVEL AROUND THE AIRPORT BEFORE HE LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE FLEW UNDER A SET OF POWER LINES AND IMPACTED FENCE POSTS AND THE TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE'S PITOT STATIC SYSTEM HEAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE WITH THE FENCE POSTS. THE PILOT STATED A MALFUNCTION OF THE VSI AND ALTIMETER OCCURRED DURING THE INSRUMENT APPROACH. NO SYSTEM FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE NTSB BY THE FAA COORDINATOR. TESTING OF THE PITOT STATIC SYSTEM DID NOT REVEAL ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SYSTEM. THE PASSENGER STATED THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY AROUND THE AIRPORT AT LESS THAN 100 FEET IN VERY POOR VISIBILITY AND THAT THERE WERE NO INSTRUMENT PROBLEMS DURING THE APPROACH.
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: 705 hours in all; 305 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 526 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,209 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 26, 1991; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTN Patterson LA at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 4,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from AUS, 8 miles away
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.