Mooney M-20-J-201 accident near Bloomington, Illinois, May 13, 1983
On May 13, 1983 at about 10:38 pm local time, a Mooney M-20-J-201, registered N201GG, was destroyed in an accident near Bloomington, Illinois. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 1983 · about 10:38 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Illinois
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20-J-201 · all M-20-J-201s on the register
- Registration
- N201GG · no longer on the register · serial 24-0212
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, A WITNESS HEARD THE ACFT, THEN SAW IT FOR A SHORT TIME THRU AN OPENING IN THE CLOUDS. IN HIS OPINION, IT WAS HEADING DIRECTLY INTO A THUNDERSTORM, WHICH CONCERNED HIM. HE SAID THAT RAIN WAS FALLING, AND ABOUT 10 MIN LATER, THE THUNDERSTORM PASSED OVER HIS POSITION. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS WERE COMPRESSED BACK IN AN 'ACCORDIAN' MANNER AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 45 DEG, WHICH WAS INDICATIVE OF IMPACTING IN A 45 DEG, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THERE WAS A SMELL OF FUEL IN THE AREA & NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WERE FOUND. A METEOROLOGICAL STUDY SHOWED THERE WERE VIDEO INTEGRATOR & PROCESSOR (VIP) LEVEL 2 & LEVEL 4 RADAR ECHOS FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS & PROBABLE SEVERE TURBULENCE. A BOTTLE CONTAINING 600 MG OF MOTRIN (IBUPROFEN) WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT, BUT A MEDICAL EXAM REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEM.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 905 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 1982; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 12C Rochelle IL at 9:45 pm
- Destination: TUL Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 25 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from BMI, 4 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.