# Accident 20030830026109A: Mooney M20C, Watsonville, CA, August 30, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 30, 2003, 20:08 local time
- Place: Watsonville, CA
- Airport: Watsonville Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.9219° N, 121.8383° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9219&lon=-121.8383&mi=10
- Aircraft: N707JH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N707JH-2005-03-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20C (registry code 5870208, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20C
- Reported engine: CONT IO360*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 450 total, 430 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX03LA271](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA271) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030830026109A

## Narrative

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

(-23) N707JH HAD DEPARTED MADERA (MAE) AIRPORT WHEN VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE DESTINATION WATSONVILLE. ON ARRIVAL TO WATSONVILLE THE WEATHER HAD DETERIORATED AND PATCHY FOG EXISTED AT THE COAST LINE WITH 500 OVERCAST REPORTED AT THE WATSONVILLE AIRPORT. PIC PRYOR ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER INTO THE AREA VFR BUT ENCOUNTERED FOG. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND MR. PRYOR DELAYED THE CLIMB ATTITUDE BECAUSE HE HAD DIFFICULTY RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR. BEFORE A CLIMB ATTITUDE WAS ACHIEVED THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREE TOPS, STALLED AND CRASHED. OCCUPANTS (3 FATHER, MOTHER AND SON) WERE SEVERELY INJURED AND HOSPITALIZED. WHEN RELEASED FAA IIC CONTACTED, INTERVIEWED AND COUNSELED THE PIC, MR. PRYOR. NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED.

## 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 LAX03LA271](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA271), Aug 31, 2003: Mooney M20C (N707JH), Watsonville, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the non-instrument rated pilot's intentional continuance of VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain clearance with terrain.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.