Mooney M20J N43CA

Summary

On 23 July 1983 at about 14:15 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N43CA was involved in an accident near Aurora, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

23 July 1983 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Aurora, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Columbine (O1V)

Coordinates

39.7394, -104.8592

Aircraft

Mooney M20J

Registration

N43CA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Oberlin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN83LA173

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ARPT HAD ONE ASPHALT RWY THAT WAS CLOSED & ANOTHER DIRT RWY THAT WAS MUDDY. THEREFORE, THE PLT ELECTED TO TAKEOFF ON THE PARKING RAMP WHICH WAS ORIENTED IN A NORTH/SOUTH DIRECTION & WAS 1700 FT LONG. THE PLT DID NOT CONSULT THE TAKEOFF CHARTS IN HIS OPERATING HANDBOOK. HE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT ROOM TO TAKEOFF SINCE THE ACFT NORMALLY USED ONLY 1500 FT AT HIS HOME ARPT IN OBERLIN, KS. HOWEVER, FOR TAKEOFF AT AURORA, CO, THE DENSITY ALT WAS APRX 7300 FT. ALSO, THE PLT USED SOFT FIELD PROCEDURES FOR TAKEOFF. SPECIFICALLY, BACK PRESSURE WAS USEDON THE CONTROL WHEEL FOR ALL OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE NOSEWHEEL WAS LIFTED OFF EARLY & THE PLT TOOK OFF AT 60 KTS, THEN LOWERED THE NOSE TO STAY IN GROUND EFFECT. BEYOND THE END OF THE RAMP, THE ACFT HIT UNEVEN, RISING TERRAIN IN A WHEAT FIELD. FOR A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF ON HARD SURFACE, NOSE-UP ELEVATOR INPUT IN NOT NORMALLY USED UNTIL ROTATION SPEED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.