Mooney M20S accident near West Chicago, Illinois, June 2, 2003
On June 2, 2003 at about 2:30 am local time, a Mooney M20S, registered N21737, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare, and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were the pilot's improper flare and his inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2003 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20S · all M20Ss on the register
- Registration
- N21737 · registry record · serial 30-0004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed hard at night and bounced twice, subsequently veering off the runway and striking several airport lights and signs during an attempted aborted landing. The pilot reported he flared too high and was unable to recover from the bounced landing, he subsequently attempted to abort the landing and was unsuccessful.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,150 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,007 as pilot in command; 710 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 16, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 445 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EGE Eagle CO at 9:00 pm
- Destination: DPA West Chicago IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 4,751 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from DPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.