Mooney M20J accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, March 25, 2011
On March 25, 2011 at about 7:54 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201ZZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near St. Petersburg, Florida (Albert Whitted Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2011 · about 7:54 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · Albert Whitted Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201ZZ · registry record · serial 24-0745
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was landing on runway 18 with the wind reported from the tower air traffic controller as being from 270 degrees at 15 knots. The airplane touched down on the main wheels, and he held control yoke back-pressure until the nose wheel touched down. The airplane then veered 90 degrees to the left, bounced, departed the runway, and crossed a grassy area. It then struck a seawall, went over it, and came to rest nose-down, almost vertically, with salt water almost to the cockpit. The left wing and the fuselage were substantially damaged. Neither the pilot nor the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported any preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The recorded wind at the airport 1 minute before the accident was from 240 degrees at 10 knots. The airport had a runway 25, but it was closed at the time of the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 221 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 16, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMY Ft. Myers FL
- Destination: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,864 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SPG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
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.