- Date
- January 14, 1995, 12:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, OK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4024NMooney M20F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950114000459A
- Case key
- 19338
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff due to his attention being diverted. Factors were the passenger's seat belt buckle blocking the gear up latching mechanism, and his lack of familiarity with the airplane.
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 pilot's attention was diverted to a problem with raising the gear lever. The passenger side seatbelt buckle was blocking the gear lever preventing the gear from locking up. While the pilot was trying to move the seatbelt buckle, the airplane collided with the terrain. The pilot had just purchased the airplane and reported 1 hour in make/model.
Factual narrative
On January 14, 1995, at 1220 central standard time, a Mooney M20F, N4024N, was substantially damaged during takeoff near Miami, Oklahoma. The private pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross county flight.
The pilot/operator report stated the following information. The pilot had just purchased the airplane and was going to fly it back to California. "While taking off - passenger side seatbelt buckle was jammed under gear lever which prevented gear from locking up - while trying to clear buckle from gear lever aircraft struck the ground."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4024N
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 680-160
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Simmons, Samuel P.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MIO
- Destination
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Airport
- MIO · Miami Muni, runway 17, 5,613 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 1 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 35° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JLN, 20 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.
Other investigations on N4024N · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.