Mooney M20F accident near Burlington, Vermont, September 24, 1983
On September 24, 1983 at about 5:17 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered CGOEL, was destroyed in an accident near Burlington, Vermont (Burlington International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured. 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
- September 24, 1983 · about 5:17 pm local time
- Place
- Burlington, Vermont · Burlington International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- CGOEL · no longer on the register · serial 22-0036
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT HAD BEEN PARKED ON RAMP AT SYRACUSE FOR APRX 5 DAYS WITH PARTIALLY FULL TANKS & EXPOSED TO RAINY WX. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF WATER DURING PREFLIGHT. PLT TAXIED TO ANOTHER AREA WHERE 40 GALS OF FUEL WAS ADDED. FLT FROM SYRACUSE TO BURLINGTON WAS UNEVENTFUL. NO SERVICES WERE OBTAINED AT BURLINGTON BUT 1 QT OF OIL WAS ADDED. AFTERA GROUND TIME OF ABOUT 2 HRS, A TAKEOFF WAS INITIATED FOR THE RETURN FLT TO SYRACUSE. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ENG LOST POWER AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL. ACFT THEN ENTERED A STALL/SPIN, CRASHED & COLLIDED WITH A HELICOPTER. WATER WAS FOUND IN ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, LINE FROM PUMP TO FUEL SERVO, FUEL SERVO, LINE TO MANIFOLD VALVE & INJECTOR NOZZLES. FUEL SELECTOR WAS AT LEFT TANK POSITION. LEFT TANK WAS DAMAGED & EXPOSED TO FIRE FIGHTING AGENT SO PRESENCE OF WATER COULD NOT BE MEASURED. LEFT FUEL CAP WAS DETERIORATED & THERE WAS EVIDENCE IT HAD ALLOWED WATER TO LEAK INTO THE TANK. FUEL TANK HAD THREE BAYS. WATER COULD BECOME TRAPPED AT REAR INBOARD CORNER OF OUTER TANK BAY.
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: 542 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 462 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,865 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 1983; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hancock Aero Club
The flight
- Destination: SYR Syracuse NY
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 3,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:17 pm from BTV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.