Mooney M20J accident near Springdale, Arkansas, November 28, 1987
On November 28, 1987 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201CQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springdale, Arkansas (Springdale airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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
- November 28, 1987 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Springdale, Arkansas · Springdale · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201CQ · registry record · serial 240068
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG A WX BRIEFING BFR TKOF, THE PLT WAS ADZD THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RCMDD DUE TO LOW CEILING & ICING CONDS. HE WAS ADZD THE FREEZING LVL WAS FORECAST TO BE AT 4000' OVER LITTLE ROCK & TO SLOPE DOWN TO THE SURFACE IN SE MISSOURI. ALSO, HE WAS BRIEFED ON PIREPS OF ICING CONDS IN THE AREAS OF LITTLE ROCK, JONESBORO & FT SMITH, AR. HE ELECTED TO PROCEED VFR-ON-TOP. WHILE EN ROUTE AT 8500', HE OBTAINED THE FAYETTEVILLE WX & WAS ADZD OF IFR CONDS ON HIS ROUTE. HE FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN & WAS ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 5000'. DRG THE DSCNT, THE ACFT ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT 7000'. APRX 40 MI FM THE DESTN, IT ENCTRD ICING CONDS. THE PLT STATED THAT EXCESSIVE ICE ACCUMULATED ON THE ACFT, BUT DUE TO DARKENING CONDS (DUSK), HE DIDN'T NOTICE MUCH ON THE STRUCTURE. HE SAID THAT DRG AN ILS APCH, THE ACFT BECAME SLUGGISH, SO HE ADDED POWER, BUT THE LEFT WING STALLED & THE ACFT STRUCK THE TERRAIN SHORT OF THE RWY & WAS DAMAGED.
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: 1,873 hours in all; 174 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 1,773 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 1987; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TCL Tuscaloosa AL at 8:00 pm
- Destination: ASG
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 4,939 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:49 pm from FYV, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.