Mooney M20J accident near Warren, Minnesota, March 28, 1983
On March 28, 1983 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N1170G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Warren, Minnesota (Warren Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 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 28, 1983 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Warren, Minnesota · Warren Municipal
- 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
- N1170G · registry record · serial 24-1315
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF. THE ACFT CAME OFF THE GROUND NOSE HIGH AT LOW AIRSPEED. AT ABOUT 40 FEETAGL THE PILOT RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR AND WHILE DOING THIS HE INADVERTANTLY RAISED THE FLAPS. THE ACFT MUSHED BACK TOTHE SURFACE. THE ACFT LEFT WING WAS DAMAGED BY THE GROUND IMPACT. THE WEATHER WAS VMC, NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED ANDTHE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED ABOUT 3 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AS A TRAINING FLIGHT FROM THE U. OF NORTH DAKOTA. THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED GRAND FORKS AT 1445 CST, FLEW LOCALLY ABOUT 40 MINUTES AND THEN FLEW TO CROOKSTON, ND FOR TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. HE THEN FLEW TO WARREN TAXIED IN, SHUT DOWN AND VISITED THE TERMINAL. AFTER RESTART AND TAXI, HE DECIDED TO DO THE SHORT/SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF WHICH RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT.
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: 182 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 79 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 459 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 1982; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,640 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CKN Crookston MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.