Mooney M20C accident near Montgomery, Pennsylvania, August 9, 1995
On August 9, 1995, a Mooney M20C, registered N9216V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montgomery, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power, as a result of an excessively rich fuel flow in the carburetor, and a subsequent forced landing. A factor relating to the accident was the malfunction of the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1995
- Place
- Montgomery, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9216V · no longer on the register · serial 690050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF HE OBSERVED A LOSS OF AIRSPEED, AND THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. ALSO THE LANDING GEAR FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING SUFFICIENT POWER TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT, AND HE INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A CORNFIELD. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND TESTED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO REPORTED, '...NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED DURING THE ENGINE OPERATION TESTING. BOTH MAGNETOS TESTED WITHIN LIMITS. ENGINE PERFORMANCE TESTING REVEALED SLIGHTLY RICH CARBURETOR OPERATION....' THE CARBURETOR WAS TESTED AND AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR REPORTED '...FLOW RATES FOR THE SUBJECT ACCIDENT CARBURETOR WERE SLIGHTLY OUT OF TOLERANCE (EXCESS FLOW) FOR ALL THROTTLE SETTINGS GREATER THAN IDLE. THE GREATEST OUT-OF-TOLERANCE SITUATION OCCURRED AT 3/4 THROTTLE SETTING....'
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: 147 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 59 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1995; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IPT Williamsport PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.