Mooney M20E accident near Selma, California, December 8, 1985
On December 8, 1985 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N5516Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Selma, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- December 8, 1985 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Selma, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N5516Q · no longer on the register · serial 611
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE ON A VFR X-COUNTRY FLT, THE PLT STATED THAT THE ENG BECAME ROUGH WITH MODERATE VIBRATION LEVELS. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG, THE PLT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A FLD, COLLIDED WITH GND OBSTRUCTIONS & COLLAPSED ALL 3 LANDING GEAR. EXAMINATION OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE NUTS ON THE HOLD DOWN STUDS FOR THE #3 CYLINDER HAD BACKED OFF WHICH OVERSTRESSED THE REMAINING NUTS & CAUSED THEM TO FAIL. THE #3 CYLINDER WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE CASE. ACCORDING TO THE IA WHO EXAMINED THE ENG, THE NUTS ON THE NUMBERS 3 & 4 CYLINDERS WERE UNDERTORQUED DURING A PRIOR MAINTENANCE PERIOD. THE IMPROPER TORQUE LEVELS ALLOWED SOME OF THE NUTS TO LOOSEN & EVENTUALLY BACK OFF, PRECIPITATING THE SEQUENCE OF EVENT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 835 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 641 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,528 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 1985; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: BFL Bakersfield CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from VIS, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.