Piper PA-28-181 and Mooney M-20K mid-air collision near Long Beach, California, December 26, 1986
On December 26, 1986 at about 11:03 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Piper PA-28-181 (N7646F) and Mooney M-20K (N231LY), were involved in a mid-air collision near Long Beach, California (Long Beach airport). No one was hurt; 4 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
- December 26, 1986 · about 11:03 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · Long Beach · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N7646F · registry record · serial 28-7790204
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Mooney M-20K · all M-20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N231LY · no longer on the register · serial 25-0305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Piper PA-28-181 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PIPER PA-28-161, N7646F, AND A MOONEY M-20K, N231LY, COLLIDED NEAR PADER INTERSECTION ABT 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LGB AIRPORT. BOTH AIRPLANES WERE CONDUCTING INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TRAINING AND NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. N231LY HAD CONDUCTED AN ILS APPROACH TO LGB AND WAS EXECUTING A VFR WINGS LEVEL CLIMBING MISSED APPROACH TOWARDS THE SUN AND N7646F WAS EXECUTING A RIGHT PARTIAL PANEL TURN AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. BOTH AIRPLANES COLLIDED NEAR HEAD-ON. N7646F'S LEFT OUTBD WING PANEL STRUCK THE MIDSPAN SECTION OF N231LY'S LEFT WING. THE CFI ABOARD N7646F SAW N231LY AND IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A NOSE DOWN MNVR. THE CFI ABOARD N231LY DID NOT EXECUTE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. VMC PREVAILED AT THE TIME, BUT A SMOG LAYER EXISTED. AFTER THE COLLISION N7646F LANDED AT SNA AND N231LY LANDED AT LGB WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Mooney M-20K final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PIPER PA-28-161, N7646F, AND A MOONEY M-20K, N231LY, COLLIDED NEAR PADER INTERSECTION ABT 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LGB AIRPORT. BOTH AIRPLANES WERE CONDUCTING INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TRAINING AND NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. N231LY HAD CONDUCTED AN ILS APPROACH TO LGB AND WAS EXECUTING A VFR WINGS LEVEL CLIMBING MISSED APPROACH TOWARDS THE SUN AND N7646F WAS EXECUTING A RIGHT PARTIAL PANEL TURN AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. BOTH AIRPLANES COLLIDED NEAR HEAD-ON. N7646F'S LEFT OUTBD WING PANEL STRUCK THE MIDSPAN SECTION OF N231LY'S LEFT WING. THE CFI ABOARD N7646F SAW N231LY AND IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A NOSE DOWN MNVR. THE CFI ABOARD N231LY DID NOT EXECUTE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. VMC PREVAILED AT THE TIME, BUT A SMOG LAYER EXISTED. AFTER THE COLLISION N7646F LANDED AT SNA AND N231LY LANDED AT LGB WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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 for the Piper PA-28-181 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 290 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 3,800 as pilot in command; 3,700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 267 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 1986; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Flight Center, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA at 10:23 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 10,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 pm from LGB, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
The factual record for the Mooney M-20K from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,466 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 4,314 as pilot in command; 1,775 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 854 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 1986; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-360-GB1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L26 Hesperia CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: LGB
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 10,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.