Mooney M20F accident near Winnsboro, South Carolina, March 26, 1987
On March 26, 1987 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N6990V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winnsboro, South Carolina (Fairfield Company). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- March 26, 1987 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Winnsboro, South Carolina · Fairfield Company · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6990V · registry record · serial 221361
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT HIT A DITCH DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER A POWER LOSS ON TAKEOFF. THE ACFT HAD RECEIVED ANNUAL INSPECTION DURING WHICH NO CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS FOUND. THE ACFT WAS PARKED OUTSIDE, IN THE RAIN, TO AWAIT THE OWNER'S PICKUP. THE FUEL SUMPS WERE NOT CHECKED BEFORE TAKEOFF. DURING POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION THE LEFT FUEL CAP WAS FOUND COCKED. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND GASCOLATOR AFTER 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 840 hours in all; 630 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,750 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 26, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: CUB Columbia SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:59 pm from CAE, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ATL87LA098.