Mooney M20J accident near Antioch, California, July 11, 1985
On July 11, 1985 at about 5:20 am local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N201HU, suffered minor damage in an accident near Antioch, California (Antioch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- July 11, 1985 · about 5:20 am local time
- Place
- Antioch, California · Antioch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N201HU · registry record · serial 24-0082
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A RESERVOIR SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING THE ANTIOCH ARPT. THERE WERE NO EYE WITNESSES TO THE CRASH. HOWEVER, AN EAR WITNESS STATED THAT HE HEARD THE ACFT SKIPPING ALONG THE WATER LIKE THE SOUND OF A HYDRO-PLANE. HE DID NOT HEAR THE ENG, BUT HE WAS LISTENING TO HIS TV WHEN HE HEARD THE SKIPPING SOUNDS. THE ACFT RECEIVED ONLY MINOR IMPACT DAMAGE. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. A PATHOLOGICAL EXAM OF THE PLT DISCLOSED ONLY MINOR PHYSICAL INJURIES FROM THE IMPACT, BUT THE EXAM SHOWED THAT THE PLT HAD DROWNED. THE PLT'S MED CERT WAS DATED 1/3/83.
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
What happened, in order
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during takeoff
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,159 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, January 30, 1985; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: O12 at 5:19 am
- Destination: AUN Auburn CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,480 ft by 33 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scattered at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°C, dew point 0°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 am from CCR, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX85FA314.