Mooney M20-K accident near Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1990
On January 31, 1990 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20-K, registered N1149G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE COLLISION WITH RODS IN THE FIELD AS THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING AFTER A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 1990 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Gibsonia, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20-K · all M20-Ks on the register
- Registration
- N1149G · registry record · serial 25-0606
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING LANDING WHEN IT STRUCK STEEL RODS. THE ENGINE WAS TORN DOWN AND THE CAMSHAFT DRIVE GEAR HAD A CHUNK (3 TEETH) MISSING, AND THE CRANKSHAFT CLUSTER WHICH MESHES WITH THE CAMSHAFT DRIVE GEAR WAS FOUND TO HAVE 7 TEETH STRIPPED OFF AT THE BASE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 897 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 148 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 794 as pilot in command; 301 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,065 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 5, 1989; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AGC West Mifflin PA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: BTP Butler PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC90LA064.