Charlotte County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Punta Gorda, Florida 33950
Saturday, February 23, 1985 13:05 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

FLT DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 9 AND A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER THIS WITH ITS ENGINE LOSING POWER AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, THIS WITNESS THEN LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ONE QUARTER MILE FROM THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAYS 21 AND 27 IN A 20 TO 25 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A POST CRASH FIRE HAD DESTROYED THE ENGINE ACCESSORY SECTION, COCKPIT INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND CABIN SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ROTATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION HOWEVER THE CARBURETOR WAS FOUND NOT TO HAVE A GASKET INSTALLED BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM SECTIONS AND A FIRE HAD OCCURRED WITHIN THE CARBURETOR FUEL BOWL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/23/1985
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1305
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City PUNTA GORDA
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33950
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CHARLOTTE COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PGD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 90
Airport Elevation 25
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1249 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 168
Weather Observation Facility ID FMY
Elevation of weather observation facility 18
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 21
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 18
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1300
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 702
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 23 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1530
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27926
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5588Q
NTSB Number MIA85FA101
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20D
Aircraft Series Identifier M20D
Aircraft Serial Number 258
Certified Max Gross Weight 2500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 29 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 50
Airframe Hours 2875
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBERT P. RIGGS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 135 CREEK DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City PORT CHARLOTTE
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33952
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code PGD
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1302
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code X31
Destination City CRYSTAL RIVER
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 9
Runway Length 4950
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --