- Date
- November 24, 1985, 16:31 local (21:31 UTC)
- Place
- Sarasota, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N201QNMooney M20J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851124057819A
- Case key
- 31474
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
Witnesses reported that shortly after takeoff from a touch and go landing the aircrafts engine sputtered and quit completely. As the pilot was attempting a forced landing the aircraft struck a tree causing the pilot to lose control. The aircraft struck the ground in a right bank nose low attitude and came to rest inverted. Post crash inspection of the aircrafts engine revealed the engines fuel system to be completly filled with water. Additionally it was learned that the aircraft had sat for three monthes prior to the flight with APPR0XMATELY half fuel tanks. The fuel sump drains in the aircrafts wings were found rusted closed after the accident.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N201QN
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0350
- Airframe hours
- 790
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Henderson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1985 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- 61X · Sarasota, FL
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 24,600 total · 180 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ, 16 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.