Mooney M20J

Aircraft Manufacturer: Mooney

Model: M20J

About the Mooney M20J

The M20J is the most-registered model in Mooney's lineup. More than 1,000 M20J airframes sit on the U.S. civil registry, and the type accounts for about 26% of the manufacturer's active registered fleet. About three-quarters of all registry records ever held for the M20J remain registered.

Over the type's FAA-registration exposure, the M20J runs about 3.3 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years. Within a cohort of the same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range, it sits at about 40%, where a higher percentile means a higher accident rate. Of 89 recorded accidents for the model, 26 were fatal.

Two airworthiness directives are active for the M20J, the same as the two issued against it in total. The most recent AD applicable to the model is dated March 20, 2012.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Mooney
Manufacturer Serial Number 5870219
Model M20J
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Cruise Speed 126 MPH / 109 knots
Weight Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 4 seats
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Asking Prices

What sellers are asking for the Mooney M20J, across current listings, grouped by model year.
As of October 14, 2026. How we calculate this.

Years Currency Typical asking range Median
1975–1979 USD ≈ $110k – $170k ≈ $130k
1980–1984 USD ≈ $150k – $190k ≈ $170k

These are asking prices, not sale prices. What any one aircraft asks or sells for can swing widely with airframe and engine condition, damage history, avionics, paint and interior, logbooks and service records, and plenty else a listing never shows.

Safety Analysis

Composition of NTSB accident records for this model in general-aviation operations (FAR Part 91 and 137), based on NTSB data as of May 1, 2026. It's a breakdown of recorded accidents rather than a safety rating, and types with significant non-GA operation (such as Part 135) may be under-represented.

99%
Identity Confirmed

Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).


88 exact, 0 recovered, 1 provisional

Methodology
89
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


26 fatal accidents.

29.2% of recorded accidents were fatal.

1,406
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


26,873

Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).


Comparison

Within its peer cohort

Within this model's peer class (same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range), comparison of its share of recorded NTSB accidents to its share of FAA registration exposure (aircraft-years since 2008).

This is a share comparison, not flight-hours adjusted, so a model flown more per airframe than its peers will show an accident share above its exposure share even if its per-hour safety is average. Methodology →

Model class Share of cohort
Accidents
1.2%
Exposure
1.4%
Time series

Accidents by year

Recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents per calendar year, derived directly from the NTSB accident database. Each bar shows the accidents that occurred in that year. Methodology →

Investigations take 12–36 months to finalise, so the trailing years come in incomplete. Recent years are adjusted upward for that lag. Observed counts show as solid bars, the lag-adjusted estimate shows hatched.

2008 – 2026 Total 89
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 89 observed): 2008 4, 2009 5, 2010 3, 2011 5, 2012 9, 2013 9, 2014 1, 2015 2, 2016 7, 2017 5, 2018 7, 2019 8, 2020 4, 2021 6, 2022 6, 2024 4, 2025 3, 2026 1. 3 6 9 12 0 4 '08 5 '09 3 '10 5 '11 9 '12 9 '13 1 '14 2 '15 7 '16 5 '17 7 '18 8 '19 4 '20 6 '21 6 '22 4 '24 3 '25 3 '26
Composition

Phase of flight

Which phase of flight each accident occurred in, as coded by the NTSB. Most accidents happen in the phases where most flying time is concentrated, so this isn't a measure of which phase is most dangerous.

8 categories Total 89
Landing 26
Initial climb 15
Enroute 14
Takeoff 12
Approach 12
Maneuvering 6
Taxi 3
Standing 1
Causes

Finding category

Top-level NTSB cause category, from the coded investigation findings. An accident often has more than one finding, so totals here can exceed the recorded accident count.

NTSB top-level codes Total 275
Personnel issues 116
Aircraft 98
Environmental issues 49
Not determined 12
Outcomes

Injury severity

NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.

Highest per accident Total 89
None 41
Fatal 26
Minor 12
Serious 10

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (89)· NUSN (8)· 129 (1)

Recorded Accidents

All 89 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Chino, CA N201DQ Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Farmington, DE N201HK Substantial None Landing Personnel issues
Allentown, PA N4826H Substantial None Takeoff Not determined, Aircraft
Lamar, CO N201VA Substantial Serious Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft
Sedona, AZ N5760Y Substantial Serious Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Lund, NV N1079K Substantial None Maneuvering Personnel issues, Not determined, Environmental issues
Marco Island, FL N3700H Substantial Minor Prior to flight Aircraft, Personnel issues
Kansas City, MO N9201R Substantial Fatal Initial climb Personnel issues, Aircraft
Leonardtown, MD N4570H Substantial Minor Maneuvering Aircraft
El Reno, OK N205MC Substantial None Approach Aircraft, Not determined
Collinsville, OK N57672 Destroyed Fatal Enroute Not determined, Personnel issues
Springfield, TN N3545H Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Warsaw, IN N5763H Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Teddys Peak, CO N58119 Substantial Fatal Enroute Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Chelan, WA N132PC Substantial Minor Enroute Not determined, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Oshkosh, WI N339PB Substantial Serious Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Mc Kinnon, TN N174JB Substantial Serious Prior to flight Aircraft, Personnel issues
Ozark, AR N2159D Substantial Minor Enroute Aircraft
Sterling, PA N9154K Substantial Fatal Initial climb Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Bloomfield, IN N201QB Substantial Serious Landing Personnel issues
Butler, PA N58135 Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Lewiston, CA N367MR Substantial None Initial climb Aircraft, Personnel issues
North Canton, OH N1146B Substantial Minor Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Greenfield, IN N10143 Substantial None Taxi Aircraft, Personnel issues
St. Petersburg, FL N201ZZ Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues

Page 3 of 4 (showing accidents 51–75 of 89).

Data presented on this website is sourced directly from official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. To ensure accuracy, we try not to correct issues such as improper punctuation, spelling errors, empty fields, or unusual labels like "SALE REPORTED" for a registrant. We make every effort to present information as it appears in the FAA database. This website is not affiliated with any government agency.