- Date
- December 8, 1985, 15:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Selma, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5516QMooney M20E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851208076079A
- Case key
- 25033
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During cruise on a VFR x-country flt, the plt stated that the eng became rough with moderate vibration levels. After shutting down the eng, the plt made a forced landing in a fld, collided with gnd obstructions & collapsed all 3 landing gear. Examination of the eng revealed that the nuts on the hold down studs for the #3 cylinder had backed off which overstressed the remaining nuts & caused them to fail. The #3 cylinder was found separated from the case. According to the IA who examined the eng, the nuts on the numbers 3 & 4 cylinders were undertorqued during a prior maintenance period. The improper torque levels allowed some of the nuts to loosen & eventually back off, precipitating the sequence of event.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5516Q
- Reported as
- Mooney M20E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 611
- Airframe hours
- 2,528
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John I. Crawford
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 6, 1985 · 81 hours before
- Departed
- RHV · San Jose, CA
- Destination
- BFL · Bakersfield, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 835 total · 107 in this make and model · 641 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VIS, 22 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.