Mooney M20K accident near Emporia, Kansas, October 24, 1997
On October 24, 1997 at about 1:17 am local time, a Mooney M20K, registered N305RJ, was destroyed in an accident near Emporia, Kansas (Emporia Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an altitude above the minimum descent altitude for the approach. Factors contributing to this accident were the low ceiling, rain, and fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 1997 · about 1:17 am local time
- Place
- Emporia, Kansas · Emporia Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N305RJ · no longer on the register · serial 250602
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on the second of a two leg IFR cross-country flight from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Emporia, Kansas, with an intermediate stop at Farmington, New Mexico. On contacting the Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), the pilot was informed that Emporia weather was 10 miles visibility, and an overcast ceiling of 600 feet agl. At 1951 central daylight time (cdt), Kansas City ARTCC cleared the pilot for the VOR approach into the Emporia Municipal Airport. At 2002 cdt, the pilot reported that he was on the missed approach. The pilot requested another VOR approach. Kansas City ARTCC cleared the pilot for the approach, and told him to report 'established' on the approach. At 2014 cdt, the pilot reported that he was established inbound on the VOR approach. Kansas City ARTCC instructed the pilot to 'go over to advisory [frequency] and report cancellation on this frequency.' The pilot responded,' Okay, we'll go ahead and cancel IFR right now.' The airplane impacted the terrain, near Emporia Airport, at 2017 cdt. The pilot's logbook showed that he had 44.1 hours of actual instrument time. A pilot, who had departed the Emporia Airport at approximately 2000 cdt, described the weather as 'marginal, a ceiling of around 700 feet agl,' and the visibility as being 6 to 7 miles. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 677 hours in all; 119 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 661 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,448 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 9, 1997; 119 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FMN Farmington NM at 10:01 pm
- Destination: EMP
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from EMP, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.