Mooney M20F accident near Dekalb, Illinois, January 11, 1994
On January 11, 1994 at about 9:58 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N6323Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dekalb, Illinois. 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
was an aborted takeoff not performed by the pilot-in-command. Factors related to the accident were the partial power loss for undetermined reasons and the continued operation of the airplane with a deficiency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 1994 · about 9:58 pm local time
- Place
- Dekalb, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6323Q · no longer on the register · serial 670416
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE WAS DIFFICULT TO START DUE TO COLD WEATHER. ONCE THE ENGINE STARTED, HE SAID IT RAN ROUGH, MAKING POPPING SOUNDS SIMILAR TO BACKFIRING. THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AFTER RUNNING IT FOR TEN MINUTES. UPON COMPLETING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION THE PILOT RESTARTED THE ENGINE, STATING IT RAN SMOOTHLY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE SOFT POPPING SOUNDS MIDWAY THROUGH THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE STOPPED CLIMBING WHEN IT REACHED ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AFTER TAKEOF. THE PILOT BEGAN A TURN TO A DOWNWIND LEG DURING A DESCENT. SHORTLY AFTER ESTABLISHING THE AIRPLANE ON A DOWNWIND LEG, THE PILOT NOTICED IT WAS DESCENDING TOWARD A BRIDGE. HE SAID HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO AVOID HITTING THE BRIDGE AND '...GLIDED ONTO THE GROUND.' THE CAUSE OF THE PILOT REPORTED POWER LOSS WAS NOT DETERMINED DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION AND ENGINE RUNUP. THE PILOT HAD ABORTED A TAKEOFF ON THE FLIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE.
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
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,279 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 8, 1989; 140 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from DPA, 14 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 N6323Q 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.