# Incident 20260805011179I: Mooney M20F, Fort Jones, CA, August 5, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 5, 2026, 08:30 local time
- Place: Fort Jones, CA
- Airport: Scott Valley
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.5578° N, 122.8549° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SCOTT VALLEY (A30), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5578&lon=-122.8549&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7768M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7768M) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20F (registry code 5870214, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20F
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 697 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260805011179I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THEY DEPARTED MURRAY FIELD (KEKA) ON 8/5/2026 AT 7:36AM ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN BOUND FOR NAPA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KMAN). AFTER CLIMBING THROUGH A THIN FOG LAYER, THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND WINDS WERE LIGHT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT. CLIMB WAS NORMAL, AND CRUISE WAS ESTABLISHED AT 11,000 MSL WITH NORMAL PROCEDURES. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MINUTES IN NORMAL CRUISE, EGT'S WERE VARYING FROM THE NOMINAL SETTING, AND VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD, AND THE ENGINE BEGAN VIBRATING SIGNIFICANTLY AND PRODUCING ONLY PARTIAL POWER. EFFORTS WERE MADE TO STABILIZE THE ENGINE AND REGAIN POWER BASED ON THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES CHECKLIST. THE OBSERVED OIL TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE RED LINE. ALTITUDE COULD NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED, AND HE ADVISED ATC OF THE SITUATION. ATC VECTORED HIM TOWARD THE NEAREST AIRPORT, SCOTT VALLEY (A30). HE SELECTED 7700 IN THE TRANSPONDER AND COPIED THE PHONE NUMBER ATC REQUESTED THAT HE CALL UPON LANDING. HE DESCENDED WHILE THE ENGINE CONTINUED UNPREDICTABLE BEHAVIOR, AND A PROMINENT HOT OIL SMELL BECAME EVIDENT. HE CIRCLED IN A DESCENT TO SET UP IN A DOWN-WIND APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 16. HE CONTINUED HIS DESCENT IN THE PATTERN AND CONFIGURED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 16; EXTENDING THE FLAPS AND LANDING GEAR. WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS PULLED BACK ON FINAL APPROACH THE ENGINE DID NOT BEHAVE AS EXPECTED AND CONTINUED TO PRODUCE POWER. HE CUT FUEL MIXTURE AND THE SPARK TO KILL THE POWER. HE INITIATED A SLIP BUT STILL CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AT APPROXIMATELY 10 M.P.H. ABOVE DESIRED APPROACH SPEED IN LANDING CONFIGURATION. UPON ENTERING THE FLARE, HIS HIGH SPEED AND DESCENT RATE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE. THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN WAS FLAT AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED; NOSE GEAR STEERING CONTROL WAS LOST, AND A PROP STRIKE OCCURRED. DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING WAS APPLIED TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT AND TRY TO KEEP IT ON THE RUNWAY WITH THE ABSENCE OF STEERING CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST JUST BEFORE THE END OF RUNWAY 16 IN A GRAVEL AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND THE TURNAROUND AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30AM OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES, AND ATC WAS NOTIFIED BY PHONE AFTER SAFELY EXITING THE AIRCRAFT.  PRELIMINARY INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AFTER THE INCIDENT REVEALED THAT SOME OF THE BOLTS HOLDING CYLINDER #1 TO THE ENGINE CASE HAD DETACHED ALONG WITH THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST TUBES.

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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