Mooney M20J accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 6, 2002
On June 6, 2002 at about 9:41 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota (Crystal 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during an aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2002 · about 9:41 pm local time
- Place
- Minneapolis, Minnesota · Crystal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201Y · registry record · serial 24-1206
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane received substantial damaged during an aborted landing. The pilot reported that the airplane started to porpoise during landing, and the pilot elected to abort the landing. During the attempted aborted landing, the left wing struck the ground and the airplane came to a stop on its belly.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,213 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,017 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 19, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,411 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 8, 2002; 6.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northland Aircraft Services
The flight
- Departed from: 6E5 Desmet MN at 8:30 pm
- Destination: MIC Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 14R, 3,266 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from MIC
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.