- Date
- February 9, 2022, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Paradise, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N201VJMooney M20J
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20220209001539A
- Case key
- 104643
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 failure to maintain a proper glidepath which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while making an approach for landing he came in too low and collided with terrain. The forward fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N201VJ
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0254
- Built
- 1977
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alfred W. Brown
- Registered owner
- Alfred W. Brown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Airport
- CA92 · Paradise Skypark, runway 17, 3,017 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 66
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 142 total · 37 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KOVE, 13 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KOVE 091653Z AUTO 34004KT 10SM CLR 12/04 A3027 RMK AO2 SLP252
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.