Mooney M20F accident near Clemson, South Carolina, December 25, 1983
On December 25, 1983, a Mooney M20F, registered N7076V, was destroyed in an accident near Clemson, South Carolina (Anderson County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 1983
- Place
- Clemson, South Carolina · Anderson County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7076V · registry record · serial 22-1412
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA ABOUT 15 MILES FROM ITS DESTINATION BUT ABOUT 16 MILES NORTH OF A STRAIGHT LINE BETWEEN GAINESVILLE, GA AND ANDERSON, SC. ONE WITNESS ABOUT 5 MILES FROM THE SITE SAW AN ACFT JUST BEFORE THE TIME OF THE CRASH FLYING AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL WITH ITS LANDING LIGHT ON. THE LIGHT REMAINED ON ABOUT 30 SECOND THEN WENT OUT. THE ACFT WAS HEADING SOUTH & ITS ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. IT IS NOT KNOWN IF THIS WAS THE ACCIDENT ACFT. THE ACFT CRASHED AT 1903 FIXED BY A VICTIMS STOPPED WRISTWATCH. THE ACFT WAS EXPECTED BY RELATIVES IN ANDERSON BY 1930. THE OCCUPANTS HAD GONE TO GAINESVILLE, GA TO PICK UP A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND THE CRASH OCCURRED ON THE WAY BACK. ACCORDING TO RELATIVES THE PLT HAD FLOWN INTO ANDERSON MANY TIMES AT NIGHT. THE PLT CALLED ANDERSON FSS ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE CRASH ASKING FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY, THERE WAS NO HINT OF ANY PROBLEM AND NO FURTHER CALLS FROM THE ACFT. INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL A REASON FOR THE ACCIDENT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 532 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 432 as pilot in command; 175 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 857 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 1983; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GVL Gainesville GA
- Destination: AND Anderson SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Observation at 11:50 pm from AND, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL84FA075.