Mooney M20K accident near St. Augustine, FL
On March 25, 2024, a Mooney M20K (airplane) was involved in an accident near St. Augustine, FL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 25, 2024
- Place
- St. Augustine, FL
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 29.959°N, 81.340°W
- NTSB ID
- 20240325193984
Official records · ERA24FA154
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC Audio Recording: Audio recording (WAV), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 25, 2024, about 1154 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20K airplane, N4387W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in St. Augustine, Florida. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed about 1150 from Northeast Florida Regional Airport (SGJ), St. Augustine, Florida, bound for Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport (X51), Homestead, Florida. According to air traffic control audio communications provided by the FAA, the pilot was in contact with an air traffic controller in the control tower at SGJ and had been cleared for takeoff on runway 13. Less than a minute after being cleared for takeoff, the pilot reported that a door had “popped open” and that they would need to return to the airport. The air traffic controller then instructed him to enter either a right or left downwind and cleared him to land on runway 13, and the pilot acknowledged. The air traffic controller asked if they needed any assistance, and the pilot responded that he just wanted to land and close the door. No further communications occurred between the pilot and the air traffic controller. When the air traffic controller could not reestablish contact with the pilot, he stopped all departures and asked the pilots of aircraft in the vicinity to search for N4387W. The wreckage was then found by an occupant of one of the aircraft conducting the search. According to ADS-B data, during the return to the airport, the airplane was on the
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed of the airplane while in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing was the pilot’s distraction due to the in-flight opening of the main cabin door, which resulted from the incorrect closure of the door before takeoff.
More accidents in FL
- Grumman G-73T, Dec 19, 2005
- Beech B90, Jan 5, 1994
- Beech B-90, Sep 3, 1999
- Cessna 182B, Feb 7, 1982
- Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-12/47, Jun 7, 2012
Browse: Florida · Mooney aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
