Mooney M20J accident near Kelley'S Island, Ohio, August 28, 1993
On August 28, 1993 at about 10:35 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N202WB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kelley'S Island, Ohio (Kelley'S Island Land Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A factor was the pilot's inadequate handling of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1993 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Kelley'S Island, Ohio · Kelley'S Island Land Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N202WB · no longer on the register · serial 24-0261
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS, WHICH INCLUDED ONE INFANT, WERE TURNING FROM LEFT BASE TO FINAL, IN THE SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, AT THEIR DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE LANDING RUNWAY WAS 09 AND THE WINDS WERE FROM 020 DEGREES AT 9 MILES PER HOUR (MPH). WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLY THROUGH THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE AND INCREASE ITS ANGLE OF BANK TO REALIGN WITH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED WITH THE NOSE RISING SLIGHTLY FOLLOWED BY AN INCREASED ROLLRATE TO THE LEFT WHILE DESCENDING. AN INCREASE IN PROPELLER SPEED WAS HEARD JUST PRIOR TO THE INCREASED LEFT ROLL. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND, SLID ACROSS A RAMP INTO TWO PARKED AIRPLANES. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH) THE RECOMMENDED FINAL APPROACH SPEED IS 80 MPH. THE PUBLISHED STALL SPEED FOR THAT CONDITION IS 64 MPH. IT ALSO LIST THE STALL SPEED FOR A 40 DEGREE BANK ANGLE AS 76 MPH AND A STALL SPEED OF 93 MPH FOR A 60 DEGREE BANK ANGLE.
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: 554 hours in all; 308 in this make and model; 473 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,975 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1993; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OH30 Put In Bay OH at 10:15 pm
- Destination: 89D
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,230 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from CLE, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 N202WB 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.