Mooney M20E accident near Morrison, Illinois, September 27, 1990
On September 27, 1990 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N7197U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morrison, Illinois. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE PROPELLER BLADE BY UNKNOWN PERSONS AND THE SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE BLADE IN FATIGUE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. A FACTOR WAS: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 1990 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Morrison, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N7197U · no longer on the register · serial 415
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT FAILURE OF A PROPELLER BLADE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT THE AIRPLANE STARTED A SEVERE VIBRATION AND REDUCING THE ENGINE POWER HAD NO EFFECT ON IT. THE VIBRATION STOPPED AFTER HE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND RAISED THE NOSE IN ORDER TO STOP THE WINDMILLING PROPELLER. DURING THE FORCED LANDING THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SLID INTO A DIRT BANK. EXAMINATION OF THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE FAILED PROPELLER BLADE FRACTURE SURFACE SHOWED A FATIGUE CRACK EXTENDING FROM THE LEADING EDGE TO A POINT 3-1/4 INCHES MEASURED IN THE CHORDWISE DIRECTION. THE LEADING EDGE HAD BEEN REWORKED BY FILING OR GRINDING.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 850 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,050 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 22, 1990; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CAD Cadillac MI at 3:20 pm
- Destination: F91 Weatherford OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:45 pm from SQ1, 20 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.
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.