Mooney M20K accident near Trenton, Nebraska, April 20, 1983
On April 20, 1983 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20K, registered N231KV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Trenton, Nebraska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- April 20, 1983 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Trenton, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N231KV · registry record · serial 25-0291
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 11500 TO 12000 FT MSL WHEN THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY A LURCH. THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE DEVELOPED A ROUGHNESS. THE PLT SAID HE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AT THIS TIME, THE PLT ADVISED DENVER ARTCC OF HIS EMERGENCY AND ASKED FOR LOCATIONS OF AIRPORTS IN THE VICINITY. THE CONTROLLER RESPONDED THAT THE TRENTON, NE ARPT WAS ABOUT 15 MILES BEHIND HIM. THE ACFT WAS TURNED TO A HEADING OF 80 DEGREES WHICH LATER WAS CHANGED TO 55 DEGREES. 5 MILES WEST OF TRENTON THE PLT RESPORTED THAT HE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. THE ACFT WAS LANDED GEAR DOWN ABOUT 1/2 MILE SHORT OF RWY 14. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AFTER THE ACCIDENT SHOWED THE CRANKSHAFT CLUSTER GEAR P/N 630690 WAS MISSING ABOUT 1/2 OF ITS TEETH THAT MESH WITH THE CAM SHAFT DRIVE GEAR. THE FAILURE WAS FOUND TO HAVE STARTED AS A FATIGUE TYPE FRACTURE IN ONE OF THE GEAR TEETH.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 956 hours in all; 439 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 892 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 597 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, July 14, 1982; 144 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-GB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSI Hastings NE at 9:50 pm
- Destination: GJT Grand Junction CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 2,600 ft by 280 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from MCK, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.