Mooney M20-K accident near Madison, Wisconsin, January 26, 1986
On January 26, 1986 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20-K, registered N1156C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison, Wisconsin (Dane County Regional Arpt airport). It was a personal 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 1986 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Wisconsin · Dane County Regional Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20-K · all M20-Ks on the register
- Registration
- N1156C · registry record · serial 25-0638
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A GEAR UP LANDING WAS PERFORMED BY THE PILOT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS DISTRACTED BY AN AIRLINER AHEAD OF HIM IN THE PATTERN AND DID NOT CONSULT HIS BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD NOT FLOWN MUCH IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 845 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 812 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 629 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-GB4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 4,699 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; not recorded at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI86LA078.