Mooney M20F accident near San Andreas, California, March 26, 1989
On March 26, 1989 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N9379M, was destroyed in an accident near San Andreas, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INTERRUPTION OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, AND FAILUE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL/SPIN. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: LACK OF ALTITUDE TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL/SPIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 1989 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- San Andreas, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9379M · no longer on the register · serial 670003
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES RPRTD THERE WAS AN INTERRUPTION OF ENG POWER AS THE ACFT WAS MANEUVERING AT LOW ALT, THEN IT ENTERED A DSCNT WITH THE WINGS ROTATING & CRASHED. A SWATH THRU THE TREES IN THE IMPACT AREA INDICATED THE ACFT WAS IN A LEFT WING LOW/NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHEN IT CRASHED. THE PROP BLADES HAD EVIDENCE OF CHORDWISE SCRATCHES & DEEP LEADING EDGE GOUGES. ALSO, A TREE LIMB WAS FOUND THAT HAD BEEN SLICED; IT CONTAINED BLACK PAINT THAT MATCHED PAINT ON THE PROP.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 640 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 061 Cameron Park CA at 7:59 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: overcast; scat
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from SCK, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.