# Accident 19970718018929A: Mooney M20J, Placerville, CA, July 18, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 18, 1997, 10:42 local time
- Place: Placerville, CA
- Airport: Placerville Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.7294° N, 120.7996° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7294&lon=-120.7996&mi=10
- Aircraft: N405LA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N405LA-1997-11-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Reported engine: CONT IO550A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 1,531 total, 73 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX97FA253](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97FA253) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970718018929A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

CRASHED INTO A VACANT HOUSE. (.4) THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND A RESIDENCE AFTER A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 23. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND POSTIMPACT FIRE, TO INCLUDE ALL ENGINE ACCESSORIES, THE COCKPIT, AND FUEL SYSTEM. A WITNESS HEARD THE PILOT ANNOUNCE THAT HE WAS ON A 2 MILE FINAL TO RUNWAY 23 AND NO ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSIONS WERE HEARD.  OTHER WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE MAKE A DESCENDING, LOW, SWEEPING TURN TO THE SOUTHWEST JUST ABOVE THE TREE LINE, IN A LEFT WING DOWN ATTITUDE JUST PRIOR TO THE COLLISION WITH THE TREES AND RESIDENCE 1 MILE WEST OF THE AIRPORT.  THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED AND EXAMINED WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED WHICH WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED THE ENGINE FROM PRODUCING POWER.  THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION, AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION.  FUEL LOAD AND USAGE WAS RECONSTRUCTED BASED UPON THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ORIGIN AND DESTINATION AIRPORTS.  THE TRIP REQUIRED 15 GALLONS OF FUEL.  THE AIRPLANE'S LAST KNOWN FUELING WAS ON JULY 17TH AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, WHEN EACH WING TANK WAS FILLED WITH 10 GALLONS.  IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW MUCH FUEL WAS PRESENT IN EACH TANK PRIOR TO THIS FUELING.  FLIGHT HOURS SUBSEQUENT TO THE JULY 17TH FUELING COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. DIPHENHYDRAMINE, AN ANTIHISTAMINE, WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD AT 0.186 UG/ML, AND IN THE LIVER AT 1.594 UG/ML

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX97FA253](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97FA253), Jul 18, 1997: Mooney M20J (N405LA), Placerville, CA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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