Mooney MK-20 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, February 20, 1986
On February 20, 1986 at about 8:26 pm local time, a Mooney MK-20, registered N8135E, was destroyed in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona (Deer Valley Muniu airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- February 20, 1986 · about 8:26 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Deer Valley Muniu · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney MK-20
- Registration
- N8135E · no longer on the register · serial 1406
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A MOONEY MK 20 COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE AFTER AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE ENGINE FAILED ON CLIMB AT ABOUT 1500 FEET AGL AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED DOWNWIND. THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION AS THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE AND REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 23 GALLONS OF FUEL PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THERE WAS FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT FUEL TANK, AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND AUXILLARY TANK WERE EMPTY. THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE AND FUEL PUMP WERE WERE TEST STAND OPERATED AND FOUND TO BE NORMAL. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL BOOST PUMP TO THE CARBURETOR WAS SHEARED ON IMPACT AND IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF FUEL WAS BEING SUPPLIED TO THE ENGINE AT THE TIME OF FAILURE.
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: 501 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 440 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,833 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 9, 1985; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7R, 5,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:20 pm from DVT
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.