Mooney M20K accident near Long Beach, California, April 30, 1987
On April 30, 1987 at about 3:28 pm local time, a Mooney M20K, registered N231MW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Long Beach, California (Long Beach airport). 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
- April 30, 1987 · about 3:28 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · Long Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N231MW · no longer on the register · serial 25-0200
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON 4/28/87, AFTER A FLT FROM LONG BEACH TO LAS VEGAS, THE PLT REQUESTED THE LEFT WING TANK BE SVCD WITH 15 GAL OF FUEL; NO FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE RGT TANK. TWO DAYS LATER, THE PLT TOOK OFF ON THE RETURN FLT. DRG ARRIVAL AT LONG BEACH, HE WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 30 APCH. WHILE ON FINAL APCH TO LAND, THE ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT INITIATED EMERG STARTING PROCEDURES, THEN DIRECTED HIS ATTENTION TO MAKING AN EMERG LANDING. DRG THE LANDING, THE ACFT STRUCK A HIWAY RAMP SIGN &LIGHT STANDARD, THEN CRASHED ON THE ROOF OF A LARGE BLDG. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE LEFT TANK WHICH WAS NEARLY EMPTY, BUT THE RIGHT TANK HAD APRX 15 GAL REMAINING. ALTHOUGH THE LEFT TANK HAD RUPTURED,ONLY ABOUT 1.5 GAL WAS FOUND IN THE TANK & ONLY AN ESTIMATED 1.5 GAL OF FUEL HAD SPILLED. LESS THAN 3 CC OF FUEL (TOTAL)WAS FND IN THE FUEL FEED & RETURN LINES TO THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP. FOUR GAL OF FUEL IN EACH TANK WAS CONSIDERED TO BE UNUSABLE. THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK DIRECTED THAT FOR LANDING, THE FUEL SELECTOR BE POSITIONED TO THE FULLEST TANK.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 690 hours in all; 321 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 638 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,303 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1986; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-GB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 2:15 pm
- Destination: LGB
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 10,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from LGB, 1 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N231MW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.