- Date
- July 23, 1983, 08:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Aurora, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N43CAMooney M20J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830723034579A
- Case key
- 16123
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The arpt had one asphalt rwy that was closed & another dirt rwy that was muddy. Therefore, the plt elected to takeoff on the parking ramp which was oriented in a north/south direction & was 1700 ft long. The plt did not consult the takeoff charts in his operating handbook. He concluded that there was sufficient room to takeoff since the acft normally used only 1500 ft at his home arpt in oberlin, KS. However, for takeoff at Aurora, CO, the density alt was aprx 7300 ft. also, the plt used soft field procedures for takeoff. Specifically, back pressure was usedon the control wheel for all of the takeoff roll, the nosewheel was lifted off early & the plt took off at 60 KTS, then lowered the nose to stay in ground effect. Beyond the end of the ramp, the acft hit uneven, rising terrain in a wheat field. For a short field takeoff on hard surface, nose-up elevator input in not normally used until rotation speed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43CA
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0270
- Airframe hours
- 1,579
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Christ For All
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 14, 1981 · 199 hours before
- Destination
- K80 · Oberlin, KS
- Airport
- O1V · Columbine
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,020 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 1,920 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 10 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.