LAX87LA082

NTSB accident investigation · Mooney M20C · Spring Valley, CA · January 12, 1987

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
January 12, 1987, 10:20 local (18:20 UTC)
Place
Spring Valley, CA
Injuries
1 minor, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N6864UMooney M20C
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 2, 1988
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19870112000299A
Case key
25501

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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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.

Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malfCruise - normal
Lubricating system,oil magnetic plug - separationCause
Maintenance,annual inspection - inadequateOther maintenance personnelCause
Fluid,oil - loss,totalCause
Engine assembly - failure,totalCause
Forced landingDescent - emergency
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - vehicleFactor

Analysis

A Mooney M20C collided with an automobile during landing roll after landing on a road. The plt indicated that while cruising at 3,500 ft MSL he noticed the eng oil pressure fall to zero. The constant speed propellor simultaneously went to low pitch, followed by the eng seizing. The plt was forced to land and selected a road to land on. On final approach the plt observed two automobiles had driven into his planned landing area. During the landing roll the plt was able to avoid the first automobile, but collided with the second. The acft left wing was substantially damaged in the collision. The automobile was also damaged and its driver sustained minor injuries. Examination of the acft eng revealed the eng oil drain plug was missing with no evidence of it being safety wired. The eng had completed an annual inspection 4 days prior to the accident and had accumulated 2.9 hours of operation since a major overhaul. This was the acfts second flight since the eng was overhauled.

Aircraft

Registration
N6864U
Reported as
Mooney M20C
Category
Airplane
Serial number
2568
Airframe hours
2,926
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Depuy, Robert V.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · January 8, 1987 · 3 hours before
Departed
L39 · Ramona, CA

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
75
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
4,289 total · 2,730 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
310° at 7 knots
Visibility
40 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 19 °F
Observed at
MYF, 11 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.