Mooney M20E accident near Lansing, Illinois, September 8, 1984
On September 8, 1984 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N10SF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lansing, Illinois (Lansing Muni 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
- September 8, 1984 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lansing, Illinois · Lansing Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N10SF · no longer on the register · serial 737
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD JUST DEMONSTRATED THE ACFT FOR SALE AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. RUN UP AND PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKS WERE RUSHED TO BEAT VOID CLEARANCE TIME. JUST BEFORE LIFTOFF, PLT NOTED SLUGGISH ACCELERATION BUT BELIEVED INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINED TO SUCCESSFULLY ABORT TAKEOFF. ON INITIAL CLIMB, ENG BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND POWER OUTPUT WAS MARGINAL FOR CONTINUED FLT. PLT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER DOWNWIND FOR LOW, CLOSE-IN APPROACH. AFTER ATTAINING RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, PLT REALIZED HE HAD EXCESS ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED BUT ELECTED TO CONTINUE APPROACH. ACFT TOUCHED DOWN LONG ON WET RUNWAY AND RAN OFF END, COLLIDING WITH A PERIMETER ROAD GUARD RAIL. POST-MISHAP INVESTIGATION OF ENG REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES EXCEPT WITH LEFT MAGNETO ONLY SELECTED, ENG RAN ROUGH. LEFT MAGNETO, HARNESS AND SPARK PLUGS TESTED TO SPECIFICATIONS.
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: 1,536 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 1,465 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,210 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 1984; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 3KM Wichita KS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 2,432 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from MDW, 15 miles away
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.