Mooney M-20F accident near Defuniak Spring, Florida, February 20, 1984
On February 20, 1984 at about 11:33 pm local time, a Mooney M-20F, registered N3455X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Defuniak Spring, Florida. 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
- February 20, 1984 · about 11:33 pm local time
- Place
- Defuniak Spring, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20F · all M-20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3455X · no longer on the register · serial 670033
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE FLYING AT 3000 FT, THE ENG SPUTTERED & QUIT RUNNING. THE PLT STATED THAT HE TRIED ALL EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, WHICH INCLUDED CHANGING THE FUEL SELECTOR POSITION. HE EXTENDED THE GEAR TO LAND ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, BUT SAW AN OVERPASS AHEAD, SO HE RETRACTED THE GEAR TO CLEAR THE OBSTRUCTION. AFTER CLEARING THE OVERPASS, HE DID NOT HAD INSUFFICIENT TIME TO REEXTEND THE GEAR. THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DURING A WHEELS-UP LANDING. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY & THE LEFT TANK WAS FULL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE RIGHT TANK.
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 sea
- Flight time: 567 hours in all; 549 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 521 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,593 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 11, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Ft. Pierce FL
- Destination: EST Alexandria LA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from VRB, 249 miles away
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 N3455X 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.