- Date
- August 22, 1989, 23:08 local (Aug 23, 1989, 06:08 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore, CA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- CFSABMooney M20F
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 26238
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to conduct low level night flight under low ceilings. Contributing factors were: the dark night, low ceiling, and high obstructions.
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
The flight had departed Livermore on 8/18 for an extended trip. While the pilot was away, lawrence Livermore laboratory had installed elect transmission lines on 200-FT towers on hills 6 mi east of the arpt. The lines crossed a highway and were about 300-400 ft above the valley floor. According to local pilots, when fog or low ceilings covered the arpt, it is common practice to overfly the arpt in an easterly direction until the ground is visible, descend, and reverse course under the clouds following the highway westward to the arpt. The main wreckage was found 300 yards west of the lines and north of the highway. The right wing tip was torn from the wing, and was located under the lines. Ground witnesses stated the sky was overcast and estimated the ceiling as 200 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CFSAB
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 680193
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dilor Research, Ltd
- Departed
- BLI · Bellingham, WA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificates
- Foreign, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 616 total · 515 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F