Mooney M20A accident near La Porte, Indiana, January 27, 1988
On January 27, 1988 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20A, registered N6072X, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Porte, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- January 27, 1988 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- La Porte, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20A · all M20As on the register
- Registration
- N6072X · registry record · serial 1668
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE POWER FAILURE AND WHILE THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING RAN THROUGH A FENCE AND BETWEEN TWO TREES SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. POST ACC INVEST REVEALED A FAILED CYLINDER. FAA CONDUCTED AN ENG TEARDOWN AND INDICATED IN THEIR REPORT THAT THE TORQUE VALUES ON THE CYLINDERS WAS BELOW MANUFACTURERS VALUES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF CYLINDERS.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,505 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 3,505 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,306 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1987; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Davair, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: AZO Kalamazoo MI at 10:15 pm
- Destination: 3HW Chicago IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:46 pm from GYY, 35 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.
Other NTSB records under N6072X 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.