Mooney M20C accident near Danbury, Connecticut, August 14, 1984
On August 14, 1984 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N74558, was destroyed in an accident near Danbury, Connecticut (Danbury airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 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
- August 14, 1984 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Danbury, Connecticut · Danbury
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N74558 · no longer on the register · serial 1949
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN ENG COMPARTMENT FIRE OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF & SMOKE ENTERED THE COCKPIT. THE PLT THEN MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SAND PIT APRX 1 MI FM THE ARPT. HE & THE PAX EXITED THE ACFT WITH SERIOUS BURNS. AN INV REVEALED AN EXHAUST PIPE HAD FAILED AT A PRE-EXISTING CRACK NEAR FUEL SUPPLY LINES. THE EXHAUST PIPE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY WELDED, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNRELATED TO THE WELD REPAIR. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE FUEL LINES WERE BURNED BY ESCAPING EXHAUST GASES WHICH RESULTEDIN THE FIRE. DRG AN ANNUAL INSPN ON 12/21/82, EXHAUST SYS CRACKS WERE WELDED & THE MECHANIC RETURNED THE ACFT TO SERVICEAS AIRWORTHY, BUT RECOMMENDED THE EXHAUST SYS BE REPLACED. NO CRACKS WERE FND DRG A SUBSEQUENT ANNUAL INSPN ON 2/2/84 AT A TOTAL AIRFRAME TIME OF 3316 HRS & AN ENG TIME OF 1754 HRS. THE FLT TIME FROM THE LAST INSPN TO THE TIME OF THE ACDNT WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,323 hours in all; 365 in this make and model; 198 in the last 90 days; 1,167 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,316 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DXR Danbury CT at 7:10 pm
- Destination: BDR Bridgeport CT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:14 pm from DXR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.