Mooney M-20-M accident near Santa Monica, California, July 13, 1995
On July 13, 1995 at about 2:27 pm local time, a Mooney M-20-M, registered N200CT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Monica, California (Santa Monica Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper remedial action during an aborted takeoff due to an improperly installed pitot line to the airspeed indicator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1995 · about 2:27 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Monica, California · Santa Monica Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20-M · all M-20-Ms on the register
- Registration
- N200CT · registry record · serial 27-0016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE HAD NO AIRSPEED INDICATION AND CHOSE TO ABORT. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY COLLAPSING A MAIN LANDING GEAR RESULTING IN A FIRE AT THE MID-WING FUEL VENT AREA. THE PILOT HAD CONTRACTED FOR INSTRUMENT REPAIRS IN ANOTHER AREA OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE PITOT LINE TO THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PULLED OUT OF THE INSTRUMENT WHILE OTHER WORK WAS BEING PREFORMED NEAR IT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,642 hours in all; 705 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 7,358 as pilot in command; 2,014 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 723 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1995; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,368 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AF1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SMO CA at 2:26 pm
- Destination: Abilene TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 4,987 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:27 am from SMO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.