Mooney M20J accident near Cooperstown, New York, July 19, 1993
On July 19, 1993 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N5817P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cooperstown, New York (Cooperstown Westville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT AND HIS DELAY IN INITIATING A GO-AROUND. OTHER RELATED FACTORS WERE THE RAIN AND THE WET RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1993 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cooperstown, New York · Cooperstown Westville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N5817P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1591
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT MADE THREE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO LAND ON RUNWAY 2. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT ON THE FOURTH LANDING, THE PILOT LANDED LONG WITH ABOUT 500 FEET OF RUNWAY REMAINING. HE STATED THAT THE PILOT TRIED TO GO AROUND WITH 30 FEET OF RUNWAY LEFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS LAST APPROACH APPEARED TO BE SATISFACTORY, AS HIS AIRSPEED WAS 70 KNOTS AND HE TOUCHED DOWN 1/4 WAY DOWN THE 2300 FOOT GRASS RUNWAY. HE STATED THAT HE RAISED HIS FLAPS, APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO SKID. HE REPORTED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND, BUT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRSPEED; HE RAISED THE NOSE TO CLEAR TERRAIN, AND THE AIRPLANE STALLED, IMPACTED THE GROUND AND EXITED ONTO A ROAD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION,AND THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF HE HAD ABORTED THE LANDING AND DIVERTED TO ANOTHER AIRPORT WITH BETTER CONDITIONS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 280 hours in all; 202 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 210 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,133 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 24, 1993; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: K L I Aero Services INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Albany NY at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 2,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft; not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:58 pm from UCA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.