Mooney M20J accident near Fort Myers, Florida, November 28, 2007
On November 28, 2007 at about 2:21 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201VX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida (Southwest Florida Internationa airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The reason for this occurrence was not determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 2007 · about 2:21 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · Southwest Florida Internationa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201VX · no longer on the register · serial 24-0402
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was cleared for a low approach to the instrument landing system runway 6 approach, which he acknowledged. About 5 minutes later, the pilot advised the control tower that he was "going around." Shortly thereafter the airplane was observed on radar making a left climbing turn. It then entered a rapid descent, before its radar target disappeared. Witnesses in the vicinity of the accident site reported that they observed the airplane enter a slow descending spin and crash into a wooded area. The visibility conditions at the time of the accident were reported as 1.5 miles and mist, with a 200-foot overcast ceiling. Due to the weather conditions during the final approach the pilot may have experienced spatial disorientation during the go-around. At the conclusion of the on-site examination, no mechanical or flight control anomalies were found with the airplane.
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: 1,496 hours in all; 56 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 16, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,392 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 2007; 158 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,374 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: BCT Boca Raton FL at 1:29 pm
- Destination: RSW Fort Myers FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 06, 12,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from RSW
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.