Mooney 20J accident near Morristown, New Jersey, January 5, 2003
On January 5, 2003 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Mooney 20J, registered N1074Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morristown, New Jersey (Morristown Municipal airport). 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
Ice in the fuel system, which resulted in restricted fuel flow and a subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 2003 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Morristown, New Jersey · Morristown Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney 20J
- Registration
- N1074Z · no longer on the register · serial 24-3150
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after departure, at an altitude of about 700 feet, the airplane's engine sputtered, then lost power. The pilot initiated a right turn back toward the airport, and attempted a forced landing to a taxiway. During the landing, the airplane's left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing hit the ground. Examination of the airplane's fuel tanks shortly after the accident revealed they were full; however, only a trace of fuel was observed in the fuel filter bowl. The fuel tanks were sumped, and fuel flow was observed to be lower than normal, although no water or ice was observed. After the airplane was thawed in a hangar overnight, fuel flow increased. When the engine was subsequently test run on the airframe, it started without hesitation and ran continuously at various power settings. The airplane had been parked outside during the night prior to the accident flight. The low temperature that night was 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and the dewpoint was 28 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, light snow and mist were reported throughout the night. According to the pilot, he cleared a significant amount of ice from the airplane during the preflight inspection. Temperature at the time of the accident was 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
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: 650 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 530 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,974 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2002; 66.2 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: MMU Morristown NJ at 1:14 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 1,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from CDW, 19 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.
Other NTSB records under N1074Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.