Mooney M20J accident near Bloomington, Illinois, June 11, 1992
On June 11, 1992 at about 6:42 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N302FW, was destroyed in an accident near Bloomington, Illinois (Bloomington airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING THE TURN FROM BASE LEG TO FINAL APPROACH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1992 · about 6:42 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Illinois · Bloomington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N302FW · no longer on the register · serial 24-1091
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE 69 YEAR OLD PILOT RETURNED TO THE HOME BASE AIRPORT AFTER A BUSINESS TRIP AND ENTERED A RIGHT HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 3. WITNESSES DESCRIBED A VERY TIGHT, CLOSE-IN TRAFFIC PATTERN, AND STATED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS LOWER THAN THE NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN (ESTIMATED 400 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND). THEY STATED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS '...TILTING SLIGHTLY UPWARDS...' AND THEN THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A STEEP ('KNIFE-EDGE') LEFT TURN AND DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR PILOT INCAPACITATION.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,450 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 2,250 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,069 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1991; 185 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: UNK Unknown IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 3,720 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from BMI, 1 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.