Mooney M20J accident near Jones Beach, New York, December 15, 1993
On December 15, 1993 at about 2:24 am local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201TX, was destroyed in an accident near Jones Beach, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
was the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, resulting in the airplane impacting with the water. Also casual in this accident was the pilot's total lack of experience in this type of aircraft, and operations. A factor in this accident was the lack of visual reference with the horizon as result of the dark night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1993 · about 2:24 am local time
- Place
- Jones Beach, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201TX · registry record · serial 24-0151
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEPARTURE THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GAIN A CLEARANCE FROM ATC FOR A TRANSITION FLIGHT THROUGH CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE AT 1000 FT. THE PILOT DECLINED THE CLEARANCE ATC GAVE HIM, AND ELECTED TO CANCEL HIS REQUEST AND RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. IT WAS A DARK NIGHT, AND THE WEATHER WAS MARGINAL VFR AT TIMES, AND A PILOT REPORTED FOG IN THE AREA. RADAR DATA DEPICTED AN AIRPLANE MANEUVERING IN APPROXIMATELY THE SAME LOCATION, OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, AND DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AT 2123:56. PRIOR TO THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARING FROM RADAR IT DESCENDED AND CLIMBED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VERTICAL VELOCITY DURING THE DESCENTS PEAKED AT 7000 FEET PER MINUTE (FPM), FOLLOWED BY A CLIMB OF ABOUT 5000 FPM, AND ANOTHER DESCENT OF 4000 FPM. THE SEARCH OF THE WATERS OFF THE SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND, NY, AND ALERT NOTICE (ALNOT), WERE CANCELLED ON 12/22/93. FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT PIECES OF AIRCRAFT DEBRIS WASHED UP ON THE BEACH. ONE PIECE OF DEBRIS HAD 'N201TX' PAINTED ON IT. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT QUALIFIED FOR SOLO FLIGHT IN THIS TYPE AIRCRAFT; NIGHT FLYING; AND/OR THE CARRYING OF PASSENGERS AT ANYTIME.
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: student
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,224 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 23, 1992; 245 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FRG Farmingdale NY at 2:07 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from FRG, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC94LA049.