Mooney M20F accident near Princeton, New Jersey, July 17, 1988
On July 17, 1988 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N6310Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Princeton, New Jersey (Princeton 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
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
- July 17, 1988 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Princeton, New Jersey · Princeton
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6310Q · no longer on the register · serial 670403
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE MOONEY M20F MADE A TAKEOFF AND AS THE PILOT TURNED CROSSWIND, HE EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL POWER LOSS. HE RETURNED FOR A LANDING AND THE ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT. HE MADE EXTENSIVE GROUND RUNS AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER HE DID NOT HAVE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT. ON THE SECOND TAKEOFF, HE AGAIN LOST POWER AND THIS TIME, MADE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN A FIELD. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS HAD SOOT ON THEM. THE FUEL INJECTOR SERVO, MANIFOLD, AND NOZZLES CHECKED OUT OK; HOWEVER, THE RUBBER INTAKE BOOT BETWEEN THE AIR FILTER AND THE FUEL SERVO WAS FOUND PARTIALLY COLLAPSED.
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: 1,219 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,249 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1987; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,105 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.