Mooney M20F accident near Meadville, Pennsylvania, August 24, 1991
On August 24, 1991 at about 5:45 am local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N3827N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Meadville, Pennsylvania (Meadville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
ENGINE FAILURE RESULTING FROM THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE AND THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING AT NIGHT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RESTRICTED VISIBILITY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1991 · about 5:45 am local time
- Place
- Meadville, Pennsylvania · Meadville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3827N · no longer on the register · serial 688121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS CRUISING AT NIGHT AT 8000 FEET. THE PILOT SAID '[THERE WAS A] SUDDEN VIOLENT VIBRATION...[I] CHANGED MIXTURE, GAS TANKS, ADJUSTED PROP SETTING...NO CHANGES. PULLED POWER BACK TO REDUCE VIBRATION.' THE PILOT WAS VECTORED TOWARDS THE NEAREST AIRPORT. HE WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE RUNWAY, BUT BECAUSE OF FOG AND LACK OF ADEQUATE VISIBILITY, HE WAS UNABLE TO DISSIPATE THE EXCESS ALTITUDE AND OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE FAILED BECAUSE OF FATIGUE.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,519 hours in all; 172 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,365 as pilot in command; 128 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 27,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HEF Manassas VA at 3:00 am
- Destination: APN Alpina MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 5,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.