Mooney M20A accident near Mammoth Lakes, California, November 12, 1983
On November 12, 1983, a Mooney M20A, registered N8110E, was destroyed in an accident near Mammoth Lakes, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- November 12, 1983
- Place
- Mammoth Lakes, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20A · all M20As on the register
- Registration
- N8110E · no longer on the register · serial 1318
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A MOUNTAIN SIDE AT SOME TIME PRIOR TO 0900 ON 11/12/83 WHEN THE ELT SIGNAL WAS 1ST REPORTED, VIA SATELLITE. BEFORE THE FLT, THE STUDENT PLT WAS LAST SEEN IN BAKERSFIELD, CA AT ABOUT 0100 THAT MORNING. A RESCUE MISSION WAS DELAYED DUE TO PROHIBITIVE WX CONDITIONS WHICH INCLUDED HIGH WINDS & BLOWING SNOW. INITIAL IMPACT OCCURRED WITH A ROCK RIDGE AT AN ELEVATION OF 10,400 FT MSL. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE ACFT IMPACTED WHILE IN AN UPRIGHT, WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE & DESCENDING AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 5 DEG. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF A PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE ACFT OR ENG. A TOXICOLOGICAL CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AMPHETAMINE AT 0.6 MG/L & METHAMPHETAMINE AT 1.2 MG/L. BETWEEN 0100 & 0900 PST, THE CLOUD BASES WERE ABOVE 4000 FT, CLOUD TOPS ABOVE 10,000 FT, MODERATE TURBULENCE POSSIBLE BELOW 12,000 FT, FREEZING LEVEL NEAR 8000 FT & LIGHT TO MODERATE ICING IN CLOUDS ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L45 Bakersfield CA
- Destination: BIH Bishop CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Sky: not recorded; 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.