Mooney M20C accident near Solon Springs, Wisconsin, March 10, 1983
On March 10, 1983 at about 5:15 am local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N5587Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Solon Springs, Wisconsin (Solon Springs airport). It was a personal 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 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
- March 10, 1983 · about 5:15 am local time
- Place
- Solon Springs, Wisconsin · Solon Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5587Q · no longer on the register · serial 2982
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE DEPARTED SOLON SPRINGS, WI AT 2100 CST, THE WEATHER WAS WINDY, BUT THE SKY WAS CLEAR. HE LANDED AT MINNEAPOLIS, MN TO PICK UP A PASSENGER, THEN DEPARTED ON A RETURN FLIGHT TO SOLON. WHILE RETURNING, HE ENCOUNTERED SNOW. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING ARRIVAL, HE TRIED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 1, BUT COULD NOT PICK UP THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY DUE TO THE DARKNESS AND CROSSWIND. REPORTEDLY, THE AIRCRAFT LANDING LIGHT WAS NOT DIRECTED ONTO THE RUNWAY IN THE RIGHT CROSSWIND. THE PILOT THEN ELECTED TO LAND DOWNWIND ON RUNWAY 19. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 030 DEG AT 20, GUSTING 30 KTS. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, WHICH WAS WET, AND COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,473 hours in all; 717 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 5,363 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,858 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1982; 154 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSP Minneapolis MN at 11:15 pm
- Destination: 3D9 Solon Springs WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N5587Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.