Mooney M20F CFSAB

Summary

On 23 August 1989 at about 06:08 local time, a Mooney M20F registered CFSAB was involved in an accident near Livermore, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 August 1989 at 06:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Livermore, California, United States

Coordinates

37.6805, -121.7499

Aircraft

Mooney M20F

Registration

CFSAB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bellingham → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX89FA275

4 people died.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONDUCT LOW LEVEL NIGHT FLIGHT UNDER LOW CEILINGS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE DARK NIGHT, LOW CEILING, AND HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED LIVERMORE ON 8/18 FOR AN EXTENDED TRIP. WHILE THE PILOT WAS AWAY, LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY HAD INSTALLED ELECT TRANSMISSION LINES ON 200-FT TOWERS ON HILLS 6 MI EAST OF THE ARPT. THE LINES CROSSED A HIGHWAY AND WERE ABOUT 300-400 FT ABOVE THE VALLEY FLOOR. ACCORDING TO LOCAL PILOTS, WHEN FOG OR LOW CEILINGS COVERED THE ARPT, IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO OVERFLY THE ARPT IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION UNTIL THE GROUND IS VISIBLE, DESCEND, AND REVERSE COURSE UNDER THE CLOUDS FOLLOWING THE HIGHWAY WESTWARD TO THE ARPT. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND 300 YARDS WEST OF THE LINES AND NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY. THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS TORN FROM THE WING, AND WAS LOCATED UNDER THE LINES. GROUND WITNESSES STATED THE SKY WAS OVERCAST AND ESTIMATED THE CEILING AS 200 FT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.