- Date
- May 14, 1995, 13:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Frederick, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9399VMooney M20F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950514011769A
- Case key
- 19413
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 use of unsuitable terrain for takeoff and his delay in initiating an abort. Factors were a soft and wet air strip.
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 stated he was doing an acceleration test prior to departing and when he tried to stop, the aircraft slid off the end of 2,800 foot long dirt strip, through a fence and ditch, and onto a road bordering the airstrip. The pilot stated that he appled brakes at 70 knots. Normal rotation speed in 60 knots. Heavy wheel marks were found 700 feet prior to the fence and ditch.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 1995, at 1340 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20F, N9399V, sustained substantial damage during an acceleration test prior to takeoff at a private airstrip near Frederick, Colorado. The pilot and one passenger were not injured and one passenger received minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for what was planned as a local area personal flight and no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, he was doing an acceleration test prior to departing, and when he got to about 70 knots he pulled the throttle and applied brakes. He said the aircraft slid on the grass and collapsed the landing gear going through a fence and ditch. According to the aircraft operating manual, normal rotation speed is 60 knots indicated airspeed.
Examination of the accident site, a 2,800 foot dirt airstrip, by this investigator revealed witness marks which showed heavy wheel marks on soft dirt and grass for a distance estimated to be 700 feet prior to impact with a fence and ditch. The witness marks indicated the landing gear collapsed after the aircraft went through the perimeter fence and entered a road side ditch. The aircraft came to rest on a county road which borders the south side of the airstrip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9399V
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 700021
- Airframe hours
- 4,967
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John R. Taylor
- Registered owner
- Douglas K. Smart
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 15, 1995 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Airport
- Fredrick (Private), runway 18, 2,800 × 50 ft, dirt
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,975 total · 25 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL, 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.