Mooney M20J N201QM

Summary

On 15 May 2026 at about 21:05 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N201QM was involved in an accident near Morris, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 2026 at 21:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Morris, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.4363, -88.4190

Aircraft

Mooney M20J

Registration

N201QM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lansing → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA189

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before the local flight, the pilot confirmed the left fuel tank was about ¼ full and the right fuel tank was about ¾ full of fuel. About 30 to 40 minutes into the flight, the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine by adjusting the mixture and utilizing the fuel boost pump. Unable to restart the engine, he maneuvered the airplane to a nearby airport and extended the landing gear, then realized the airplane could not glide to the airport, so he retracted the landing gear. He then elected to make a forced landing to a field and extended the landing gear. The airplane landed in the field and continued into a tree line where it came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edges of both wings. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the fuel tanks by the pilot revealed that the left tank was empty and the right tank was about ¾ full. The pilot stated that the left tank was utilized for the entire flight and that he did not switch fuel tanks.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.