Mooney M20J accident near Robbinsville, New Jersey, October 3, 1985
On October 3, 1985 at about 6:27 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N5750L, was destroyed in an accident near Robbinsville, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- October 3, 1985 · about 6:27 pm local time
- Place
- Robbinsville, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N5750L · no longer on the register · serial 24-1456
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING IFR DEPARTURE FROM AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT, THE ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK THE DISCRETE FREQ THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED IN PRE-FLT CLEARANCE. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED THE FREQ. THE ACFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. GROUND WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT DESCEND OUT OF THE LOW CLOUDS AT A HIGH SPEED. THE PLT HAD 11 HRS OF IFR PIC EXPERIENCE AND 83 HRS OF IFR DUAL INSTRUCTION. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND.
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: 357 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 269 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 485 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 1985; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Venture, INC
The flight
- Departed from: N87 Robbinsville NJ at 7:23 pm
- Destination: UCA Utica NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded at 700 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:25 pm from TTN, 15 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.
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.