No fatalities

19 Mar 2014: MOONEY M20J NO SERIES — Lamar, CO

Lamar, CO, United States

On 19 Mar 2014, a MOONEY M20J NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Lamar, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to rotate the airplane without sufficient airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported that after years without flying, he taxied his airplane on his private airstrip and unexpectedly pulled back on the yoke, causing it to become airborne without sufficient airspeed. The airplane stalled and impacted terrain nose-down, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.

Incident Overview

A pilot recounted an accident that occurred while operating an airplane on his private airstrip. According to the pilot, he had not flown the airplane for several years, though he would occasionally taxi it along the strip once or twice a year. On the day of the incident, he was taxiing the airplane as usual when, for reasons he could not explain, he pulled back on the yoke and the airplane became airborne.

Sequence of Events

The pilot stated that the airplane did not have sufficient airspeed to maintain flight. Shortly after becoming airborne, the airplane stalled and descended in a nose-down attitude before impacting the terrain. The impact caused substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot noted that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation.

Aircraft and Pilot Information

Specific details about the aircraft type, registration, engine count, and date of the accident were not provided in the report. The pilot's identity and experience level beyond the statement about not having flown for years were also not disclosed.

Investigation Findings

No investigation was mentioned; the report consists solely of the pilot's account. The pilot explicitly stated that the airplane had no preexisting mechanical issues. The cause of the accident, as described by the pilot, was the decision to rotate the airplane without adequate airspeed, leading to an aerodynamic stall.

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to rotate the airplane without sufficient airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.

Contributing factors

PilotAirspeed — Not attained/maintained