Mooney M20F accident near Ft. Myers, Florida, August 16, 1985
On August 16, 1985 at about 5:48 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N7122V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft. Myers, Florida (Page Field). It was a business 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1985 · about 5:48 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Myers, Florida · Page Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7122V · registry record · serial 22-0051
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT SETTLED TO THE RWY DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL AFTER THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. THE PLT STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE LANDING GEAR AND RELATED COMPONENTS REVEALED NO DEFECTS OR MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,177 hours in all; 1,206 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 1,531 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,167 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 1983; 285 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMY Ft. Myers FL at 5:48 pm
- Destination: 2G3 Connellsville PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 6,461 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:49 pm from FMY
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA85LA236.