Mooney M20J accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, March 1, 2006
On March 1, 2006 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N511G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida (St. Lucie County International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper magneto installation by maintenance personnel, which resulted in the magneto detaching from the engine and subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2006 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · St. Lucie County International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N511G · no longer on the register · serial 24-1207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that about 8 to 10 minutes after takeoff, while still climbing, at an altitude of about 5,000 feet, the airplane lost engine power. The pilot further stated that the gauges showed about 1,000 rpm, and the manifold pressure remained at 25 inches. He turned around and returned to the airport and made attempts to restart the engine, all of which were unsuccessful. The pilot made a forced landing to a clearing short of the airport property, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. A postcrash examination of the airplane revealed that the dual magneto had detached from its mounted position, and was hanging by the ignition harness behind the engine. The magneto had not incurred any damage, and the magneto drive gear was laying in the accessory housing along with one hold-down plate. The retaining nuts, washers and lock washers were not recovered. When tested, the magneto operated on all eight distributor outputs. The impulse coupler was not damaged, and the distributor wiring was intact. There was engine continuity, proper valve action, and compression on all cylinders. Engine oil was present, and there was evidence of some oil having leaked at the back of the engine. No anomalies were noted with either the induction or fuel systems. The airplane had last received an annual inspection on August 2005 when an overhauled engine had been installed. It had accumulated 10 hours since the annual inspection.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,212 hours in all; 465 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,170 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,525 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Fort Pierce FL at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,756 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from FPR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.