Mooney M20J accident near Merritt Island, Florida, June 18, 1987
On June 18, 1987 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N5630K, was destroyed in an accident near Merritt Island, Florida (Merritt Island airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- June 18, 1987 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Merritt Island, Florida · Merritt Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N5630K · no longer on the register · serial 241366
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PLT PERFORMED A HASTY PREFLT & AN ABBREVIATED RUN-UP BFR TAKING OFF. AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE ACFT BGN A RGT TURN, THEN ROLLED RAPIDLY TO THE LEFT & CROSSED OVER THE EXTENDED RWY CENTERLINE TWD A LEFT DOWNWIND. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT ROLLED BACK TO THE RGT, THEN ENTERED A SPIN FM ABOUT 300' TO 500' & CRASHED IN SHALLOW WATER APRX 900' NORTH OF RWY 11. DRG AN EXAM, NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. APRX 300 LBS OF PSNL BAGGAGE & COMPANY DEMONSTRATION MATERIAL & EQUIPMENT WERE FND STREWN ABOUT THE CABIN AREA, BUT NO CARGO RESTRAINTS WERE FND. DRG TOXICOLOGY TESTS, METABOLITES OF MARIJUANA WERE DETECTED IN THE PLT'S URINE, BUT A CHECK OF HIS BLOOD WAS NEGATIVE INDICATING NO RECENT USE OF DRUGS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,240 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 655 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 27, 1987; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: 3M CORP.
The flight
- Destination: TPA Tampa FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 3,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 30,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from TIX, 16 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.