Mooney M20K accident near Croswell, Michigan, September 3, 2001
On September 3, 2001 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Mooney M20K, registered N252YX, was destroyed in an accident near Croswell, Michigan (Arnold Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots failure to abort the takeoff. Factors were the pole and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2001 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Croswell, Michigan · Arnold Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N252YX · no longer on the register · serial 251092
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a pole, trees, and terrain after takeoff. The pilot said in a written statement, "I began the takeoff at the extreme end of [runway] 25 (there was a little down hill start). As I applied throttle I didn't notice the turbo charger kick in and wrote it off to the bumpy grass field. Acceleration seemed a little sluggish but again attributed it to the grass field and being close to maximum gross weight (I normally fly out of Detroit City; this was my fourth departure from Arnold Field and my first from runway 25). About 2/3 of the way down the runway I realized that there was a serious performance problem. I rotated at a little over 60 knots and the wheels cleared the grass; I presumed the plane would then perform since I wouldn't have the retarding effect of the grass. Looking up I could see power lines above me and realized that I would not clear them. The plane continued to under perform; I pulled up on the yoke and the stall warning went off. I lowered the nose and looked for a place I might get under the power lines and over the trees. It was clear that that wouldn't happen and I lowered the nose and tried to aim for a thin spot in the tree line. The right wing clipped a phone pole and we crashed through the trees, over the road and came to rest in a freshly plowed field." A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. The airplane's engine was test run on the airframe. The engine ran from idle to a power setting of 34 inches of manifold pressure. Power was not increased beyond 34 inches due to safety concerns during the test. During the test run, the magneto's were checked and the propeller was cycled. No anomalies were noted during the test run. FAA publication "THE SAFE PILOT'S 12 GOLDEN RULES - FAA-P-8740-7" states, "9. TAKEOFF/LANDING LIMITS -- Plan ahead . . . (a) Always plan touchdown 200 feet inside of runway threshold. (b) Abort takeoff if not solidly "airborne" in first 1/2 of runway. (c) Abort landing if not solidly "on" in first 1/3 of runway. (First 1/4 if wet grass.) (d) Never relax control until engine is shut down and wheels are blocked."
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: 1,119 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 995 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 15, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2001; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 55G Croswell MI at 5:50 pm
- Destination: DET Detroit MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,530 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from PHN, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.