Mooney M20J accident near East Greenwich, New Jersey, July 28, 2001
On July 28, 2001 at about 3:06 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N246JC, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Greenwich, New Jersey (Peaslees Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's premature liftoff which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2001 · about 3:06 pm local time
- Place
- East Greenwich, New Jersey · Peaslees Airstrip
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N246JC · registry record · serial 24-1557
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While departing from a turf runway, the pilot stated that he "must have lifted off early." As the airplane climbed, it "felt mushy", and started to drift to the left. The pilot then "lost control," and the airplane skidded across a soybean field, before coming to rest upright.
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: 584 hours in all; 268 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 455 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 16, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,345 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 2001; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NJ25 East Greenwich NJ at 2:30 pm
- Destination: 26N Ocean City NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 2,207 ft by 195 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from PHL, 4 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.