Mooney M20J accident near Jackson, California, June 9, 2001
On June 9, 2001 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N4235H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, California (Westover Field Amador County). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot to maintain proper airspeed for landing and airplane control with an existing crosswind. A contributing factor was the distraction of the pilot by a yelling passenger.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2001 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, California · Westover Field Amador County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N4235H · registry record · serial 24-0676
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed hard, porpoised down the runway, departed the runway, ground looped, and came to rest in a landfill area on its main landing gear. The airplane had flown for about an hour the day of the accident to three different airports with no discrepancies noted. Once established on final approach, the pilot observed the windsock indicating a crosswind condition, and felt the drift of the airplane to the left. After slowing the airplane and correcting for the crosswind, he did not recheck his airspeed to make sure he had the appropriate airspeed for landing. The airplane landed hard and short of the runway, and porpoised two times down the runway. The pilot added power in an attempt to regain airplane control. The airplane started to depart to the left of the runway, and he simultaneously became distracted by his passenger who started yelling. The airplane traveled approximately 150 feet before the nose landing gear collapsed, and an additional 450 feet before coming to rest in a landfill area.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 485 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 466 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 16, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 2000; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q68 Pine Mountain CA at 5:45 pm
- Destination: O70 Jackson CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,411 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SAC, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.