Ownership guide
Mooney M20K
763 registered in the US, built from about 1978 to 1998, 4 seats, most with the Continental TSIO-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 763
- Built
- 1978 to 1998
- Half built by
- 1981
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Continental TSIO-360
Engines installed
- Continental TSIO-360663 aircraft (87%) · 22 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
9 current ADs name the M20K airframe, 1 with a repeat action. Its engines carry 22 more. 14 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
What gets reported
11 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Fuselage Miscellaneous Structure3
- Standard Practices/Structures1
- Cargo/Baggage Doors1
- Exhaust Turbocharger1
- Flight Compartment Equipment1
- Nose/Tail Landing Gear1
Parts reported most
- Floor support, corroded3
- Truss, broken2
- Unknown, unknown1
- Door, destroyed1
- Clamp, broken1
- Bellcrank, cracked1
The latest reports
2026-05-07 · DC Generator-Alternator · Alternator, destroyed
Alternator drive coupling destroyed causing subsequent failure of engine's drive gear p/n 657984. all four bolts p/n 649205 sheared off or threads stripped from shanks causing separation of gear from crankshaft. lock plates p/n 641909 found in tact in oil sump and show signs of proper installation and bolt head locking condition as required. engine is completely destroyed as the gear face was
2026-04-06 · Nose/Tail Landing Gear · Truss, broken
Aircraft landed and nose gear collapsed on rollout. nose truss broken caused the gear to collapse.
2024-08-21 · Fuselage Miscellaneous Structure · Floor support, corroded
E051424 lh cabin omega beam #2 gussett is corroded. rar the lh cabin omega beam #2 gusset iaw emb 145 srm 51-40-02.
2024-08-21 · Fuselage Miscellaneous Structure · Floor support, corroded
E051425 lh cabin omega beam #3 gussett is corroded. rar lh cabin omega beam #3 gusset iaw emb 145 srm 51-40-02.
From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.
Accident record
59 accidents since 2008, 16 fatal (24 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 6 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of engine power (total)9
- Loss of control on ground7
- Loss of control in flight7
- Landing gear not configured6
- Loss of engine power (partial)3
- Fuel exhaustion3
Phase of flight
- Landing19
- Enroute14
- Approach8
- Takeoff6
- Initial climb6
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-03 | Foley, AL | Enroute: Loss of engine power (total) | Minor | ERA26LA061 |
| 2025-09-16 | Pearland, TX | Takeoff: Loss of engine power (partial) | None | CEN25LA386 |
| 2025-07-03 | Henderson, NV | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | WPR25LA202 |
| 2024-10-17 | Elizabeth, LA | Landing: Loss of engine power (partial) | None | CEN25LA021 |
| 2024-08-30 | Fairmont, WV | Landing: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT) | Serious | ERA24LA366 |
| 2024-05-03 | Conway, SC | Landing: Landing gear not configured | None | ERA24LA218 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (1 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the fuselage miscellaneous structure and for corroded floor supports: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 14 equipment ADs name the M20K (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
The rest of the M20 family
Questions
- How many Mooney M20Ks are registered in the US?
- 763, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Mooney M20K built?
- From about 1978 to 1998. Half of those registered today were built by 1981.
- What engine does the Mooney M20K have?
- Most have the Continental TSIO-360 (87% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Mooney M20K?
- In 11 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were fuselage miscellaneous structure, standard practices/structures, cargo/baggage doors, and the part most often reported was a corroded floor support.
- How many accidents has the Mooney M20K had?
- 59 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 16 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of engine power (total). These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Mooney M20K have?
- 9 current ADs name the M20K airframe, 1 of them with a repeat action, and 22 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.