Mooney M20J accident near Big Pine Key, Florida, May 27, 1989
On May 27, 1989 at about 6:28 am local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N3201U, was destroyed in an accident near Big Pine Key, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LIGHT CONDITIONS (DARK NIGHT) AND WEATHER (HAZE) WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1989 · about 6:28 am local time
- Place
- Big Pine Key, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N3201U · registry record · serial 24-0570
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT & PASSENGER DEPARTED ON A LATE NIGHT FLT FROM FORT LAUDERDALE TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT APPARENT INCIDENT UNTIL THE ACFT WAS IN AN OVERWATER DESCENT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE DESCENT WAS NORMAL UNTIL ABOUT 0223 EDT, WHEN THE ACFT WAS APRX 34 MI NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ACFT'S HEADING BEGAN TO CONSTANTLY CHANGE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FLT MANEUVERING IN CLIMBS & DESCENTS OVER A 4 MI AREA. AFTER MANEUVERING ABOUT 4 MIN, CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST, AND SEARCH & RESCUE EFFORTS WERE INITIATED. AT 0655 EDT, AN OIL SLICK WAS FND IN THE VCNTY OF THE ACFT'S LAST KNOWN POSITION. AT ABOUT 0900 EDT, A COAST GUARD SHIP RECOVERED DEBRIS FROM THE ACFT, BUT THE ACFT'S MAIN WRECKAGE & THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT FOUND. THE ACFT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED & THE OCCUPANTS WERE PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN FATALLY INJURED OR DROWNED. THE WX AT KEY WEST WAS IN PART: 1500' SCATTERED, VIS 6 MI WITH HAZE. THE WX AT THE ACDNT SITE WAS NOT VERIFIED.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 851 hours in all; 99 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 830 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,626 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 1989; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL at 5:50 am
- Destination: EYW Key West FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 am from EYW, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N3201U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 MIA89LA159.