Mooney M20E accident near Freeland, Washington, June 7, 1992
On June 7, 1992 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N5887Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Freeland, Washington. 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
BLOCKAGE OF THE FUEL INJECTOR SERVO SYSTEM. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM CORRODED AND ANIMALS IN THE LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 1992 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Freeland, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N5887Q · registry record · serial 808
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER REACHING A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 1500 FEET MSL THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH WITH A CONCURRENT LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT NORTH FROM HIS OVERWATER POSITION TO A NEARBY FIELD CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 60 GRAZING CATTLE AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH SEVERAL COWS. DISASSEMBLY AND TESTING OF THE FUEL INJECTOR SERVO REVEALED EXTENSIVE INTERNAL CORROSION. ADDITIONALLY, A SMALL PIECE OF CORROSION MATERIAL WAS FOUND TO BE BLOCKING A FUEL METERING ORIFICE WITHIN THE FUEL INJECTOR SERVO.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,755 hours in all; 234 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,682 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,639 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 1992; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAE Everett WA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: 0S9 Port Townsend WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 pm from PAE, 12 miles away
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.