Mooney M20 accident near Jamestown, Colorado, May 28, 1988
On May 28, 1988 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20, registered N5279B, was destroyed in an accident near Jamestown, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 1988 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jamestown, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20 · all M20s on the register
- Registration
- N5279B · no longer on the register · serial 1142
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT TOLD A FRIEND THAT HE WAS GOING TO CONDUCT A SIGHTSEEING FLT IN THE LOCAL AREA. RESIDENTS OF A SMALL TOWN 2 MILES FROM THE ACDT SITE SAID THE ACFT CIRCLED THE TOWN AT LOW ALT SEVERAL TIMES AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACDT. THE SAR SATELITE PICKED UP THE ELT SIG AT 2125 AND THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND BY A GROUND PARTY DURING THE NIGHT, AT 0150. A GLIDER PLT, WHO FLEW THRU THE AREA AT ABOUT THE TIME THE WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE ACFT, ALSO SAW AN ACFT MANEUVERING AT LOW ALT NEAR THE TOWN. HE SAID THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS 70 TO 75 DEG F AND THERE WERE DOWNDRAFTS, 500 TO 1,000 FPM IN THE AREA. THE DENSITY ALT AT THE ACDT SITE WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 11,000 FT AND THERE WERE 3 PERSONS ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE TERRAIN AT THE ACDT SITE IS ROUGH AND MOUNTAINOUS WITH SHARPLY RISING TERRAIN TO THE N,W, AND S. FOUR 5 GAL DRUMS WERE FOUND AT THE ACDT SITE AND A PLACARD FOR AUTO FUEL WAS FOUND ON THE PANEL. NO STC WAS ISSUED FOR THIS ACFT.
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: 776 hours in all; 28 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 715 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,970 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 1988; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V5 Boulder CO
- Destination: IV5
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from BJC, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.