Mooney M20K accident near West Milford, New Jersey, April 11, 2003
On April 11, 2003, a Mooney M20K, registered N231LS, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Milford, New Jersey (Greenwood Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind and his failure to maintain directional control. Factors in the accident were the crosswind and landing at night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2003
- Place
- West Milford, New Jersey · Greenwood Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N231LS · registry record · serial 25-0136
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot flew from his home airport to another airport to drop off a friend, who was to pick up another airplane. When they landed at the other airport there was a nose wheel shimmy. The pilot shut the engine down at the fixed base operator, and both he and the other pilot got out to check the nose wheel. He could find nothing wrong, and when the friend was ready, they both departed in their separate airplanes to return to their home airport. When they arrived, the other airplane landed first. The accident pilot flew his approach to the 4,000 foot long runway 6, with the flaps set to 20 degrees. After touch down, the nose of the airplane veered to the right; however, he did not recall any shimmy of the nose wheel. He pulled back on the yoke to ease the nose up, but he pulled back too hard and the airplane became airborne again. He thought he would touch down on the runway again, but instead, the airplane landed between the runway and taxiway, and struck rocks. The pilot said he did not experience any other mechanical problems during the landing. The pilot estimated the winds to be variable at 5 knots. Winds reported at the other airport, about 30 miles northeast were from 120 at 7 knots.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 26,300 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 26,000 as pilot in command; 4,850 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,510 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 25, 2002; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SWF Newburgh NY
- Destination: 4N1 West Milford NJ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 6, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
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 N231LS 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.