Mooney M20F accident near Longmont, Colorado, March 10, 1986
On March 10, 1986 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N3280F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Longmont, Colorado (Longmont Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1986 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Longmont, Colorado · Longmont Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3280F · registry record · serial 670373
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, DURING THE FLARE TO TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT STALLED AND THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND ALONG WITH FOUR RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE PLT SAID THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY MAINTAINING A HIGHER AIRSPEED ON APCH.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 908 hours in all; 531 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,752 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 12, 1985; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 10:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3280F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.