Mooney M20J accident near Chicago, Illinois, October 1, 2002
On October 1, 2002 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N22RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chicago, Illinois (Merrill C. Meigs Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind, and his failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2002 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Merrill C. Meigs Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N22RJ · registry record · serial 24-3207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with the terrain following a loss of control while landing. The pilot reported they approached the airport from the north for a landing on runway 18. He stated the winds were fine until they were approximately one mile out from the airport at which time they became gusty. The pilot reported he flew the approach with flaps down and at an airspeed of 80 knots. He reported that on touchdown, the airplane bounced and veered to the left. He applied power to go-around; however, the airplane continued to veer left. The left wing contacted the ground, and the airplane spun around coming to rest on a northerly heading. An airport weather observation taken 10 minutes prior to the accident reported the wind condition as 240 degrees at 10 knots.
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
- Flight time: 215 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 75 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 17, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,697 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,479 as pilot in command; 806 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 10, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 42 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2002; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSN Madison WI at 3:00 pm
- Destination: CGX Chicago IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,899 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from CGX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.