Mooney M20-J accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, April 5, 1994
On April 5, 1994 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20-J, registered N187ER, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Daytona Beach Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FOR UNKNOWN REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1994 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Daytona Beach Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20-J · all M20-Js on the register
- Registration
- N187ER · registry record · serial 1697-14
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR AND COMMERCIALLY RATED STUDENT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND CHECKED IT DOWN THREE TIMES. DURING LANDING ROLL THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE AIRPLANE WAS EXAMINED AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND WHEN ON JACKS THE GEAR CYCLED NORMALLY UP AND DOWN BOTH ELECTRICALLY AND MECHANICALLY.
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 multi-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 3,700 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,235 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 29, 1994; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 16, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:14 pm from DAB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.