Mooney M20E accident near Fort Worth, Texas, April 3, 1993
On April 3, 1993 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N9337M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas (Sycamore airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PARTIAL POWER LOSS DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE AND RESULTANT DISCREPANCIES. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1993 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Sycamore · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N9337M · no longer on the register · serial 1269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING INITIAL CLIMB THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE HAD REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THE POWER DECREASED TO A LEVEL THAT WOULD NOT SUSTAIN THE CLIMB. THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO AVAILABLE TERRAIN, ROUGH AND UNEVEN. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS AND THAT THE ELECTRICAL FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS NOT DELIVERING SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES OF FUEL DURING HIGH POWER SETTINGS.
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: 972 hours in all; 735 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 940 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,571 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 1992; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9F9 at 7:39 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,950 ft by 32 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,100 ft; not recorded at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.