Mooney M20J accident near Chatsworth, California, March 14, 1983
On March 14, 1983 at about 2:14 am local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N8201V, was destroyed in an accident near Chatsworth, California (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- March 14, 1983 · about 2:14 am local time
- Place
- Chatsworth, California · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N8201V · no longer on the register · serial 24-0608
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH POWERLINES 177 AGL DURING FLT IN ADVERSE WEATHER. ABOUT 2 MILES FROM THE SITE OF THE POWERLINE COLLISION THE ACFT HAD COLLIDED WITH HILLY TERRAIN ABOUT 500 FT HIGHER THAN THE POWERLINE. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND PARTS OF HIS ROUTE WAS IMC. DURING HIS FLT ENROUTE WEATHER UPDATES SHOWED WORSE WEATHER & VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED & A SITE TO LAND VFR WAS SUGGESTED. AT 1814 HOURS A POWER OUTAGE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A BROKEN POWER LINE AT CA. STATE HIGHWAY 14 AND INTERSTATE 5. WITNESSES REPORTED THE WEATHER AT THAT TIME TO BE HEAVY RAINAND FOG & RPTD SEEING THE FLASH AS THE ACFT HIT THE POWERLINE. PART OF THE ACFT RUDDER WAS FOUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE BROKEN POWERLINE. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 2.4 NM SOUTHWEST OF THE BROKEN POWERLINE AT 2300 FT MSL NEAR CHATSWORTHCA. THERE WAS FIRE AFTER IMPACT.
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: 240 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 895 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1983; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: C & K Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: MML Mommoth Lakes CA
- Destination: SMO Santa Monica CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.