Mooney M20F accident near Morgan Hill, California, May 3, 1986
On May 3, 1986 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N9309V, was destroyed in an accident near Morgan Hill, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 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
- May 3, 1986 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Morgan Hill, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9309V · no longer on the register · serial 690087
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFINGS, TWICE, AND WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AND CRASHED INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN THAT WAS OBSCURED BY ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE ACFT HAD CIRCLED SEVERAL TIMES IN A VALLEY OR CANYON AREA BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED INTO CLOUDS AND IMPACTED THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN. THEY REPORTED THAT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, THERE WERE LOW CEILINGS, POOR VISIBILITY WITH FOG AND HEAVY RAIN.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,231 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 1985; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 056 Novato CA
- Destination: SVC Silver City NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from SJC, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.