# NTSB NYC01LA191: Mooney M20J, N246JC, East Greenwich, NJ, July 28, 2001

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: July 28, 2001, 11:06 local (15:06 UTC)
- Place: East Greenwich, NJ
- Location: 39.7897° N, 75.2283° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at HOLLINGSHEAD (NJ25), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7897&lon=-75.2283&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Uncontrolled descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/650) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report June 18, 2002
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 52851
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC01LA191
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52851/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA191

## Probable cause

The pilot's premature liftoff which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled
  - lift-off - premature, pilot in command (cause)
  - stall/mush - inadvertent, pilot in command

## Analysis

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.

## Factual narrative

On July 28, 2001, about 1106 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N246JC, was substantially damaged after impacting terrain while departing from Peaslees Airstrip (NJ25), East Greenwich, New Jersey.  The certificated private pilot and two passengers were not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot, he was departing from the 2,207-foot long turf runway, when 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 pilot did not report any abnormalities with the airplane or it's engine.

The winds reported at a nearby airport, about the time of the accident, were from 150 degrees at 5 knots.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N246JC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N246JC), registered now, S/N 24-1557, built 1985 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Mooney M20J
- Registry model: [Mooney M20J](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (registry code 5870219) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 SER A&C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (registry code 41511, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 24-1557
- Airframe hours: 2345
- Engines: Lycoming IO-360 200 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: James F. Schultes
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, March 15, 2001, 34 hours before
- Departed: NJ25, East Greenwich, NJ
- Destination: 26N, Ocean City, NJ
- Airport: NJ25, Peaslees Airstrip, runway 14, 2,207 × 195 ft, grass/turf

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review January 16, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 584 total, 268 in this make and model, 455 as pilot in command, 12 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: variable at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observed at: PHL, 4 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20010728022179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010728022179A), Jul 28, 2001: Mooney M20J, Clarksboro, NJ, No damage. (-23) During take off from runway 14 (turf strip) at NJ25 Clarksboro, NJ, N246JC, Mooney 20J serial number 24-1557, tracks on the ground indicate that the…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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