Mooney M20F accident near Cloverdale, California, July 5, 1986
On July 5, 1986 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N6762V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cloverdale, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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
- July 5, 1986 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cloverdale, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6762V · no longer on the register · serial 700057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH WIRES FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL. THE PLT INDICATED THAT HE WAS FOLLOWING A RIVER AT 1,500 FT MSL AT A SLOW AIRSPEED WHEN THE STALL WARNING SOUNDED. THE PLT STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE NOSE IN A DOWNDRAFT AND RECOVERED CLOSE TO THE GROUND. THE RIVER ELEVATION IS APRX 4OO FT MSL IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ACFT DESCENDED APRX 1100 FT PRIOR TO THE COLLISION WITH THE WIRES. THE PLT ALSO INDICATED THE WINDS WERE FROM THE NW AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 30 KTS AND THAT THE TURBULENCE WAS SEVERE. THE FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR 61-21A, ENTITLED 'FLIGHT TRAINING HANDBOOK' STATES, 'THE PILOT MUST PROMPTLY RECOGNIZE THE INDICATIONS OF AN IMMINENT STALL AND TAKE TIMELY, POSITIVE CONTROL ACTION TO PREVENT A FULL STALL. PERFORMANCE IS UNSATISFACTORY IF A FULL STALL OCCURS, IF AN EXCESSIVELY LOW PITCH ATTITUDE IS ATTAINED, OR IF THE PILOT FAILS TO TAKE TIMELY ACTION TO AVOID EXCESSIVE LOSS OF ALTITUDE'.
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: 750 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 650 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,354 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 1986; 20 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: STS Santa Monica CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: UKI Ukiah CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 315° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.