Mooney M20J accident near San Martin, California, February 14, 1989
On February 14, 1989, a Mooney M20J, registered N5726M, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Martin, California (San Martin airport). It was an instructional 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
FAILURE OF THE STUDENT TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT BY THE CFI WHICH RESULTED IN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED NOT BEING MAINTAINED BY THE CFI. DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 1989
- Place
- San Martin, California · San Martin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N5726M · registry record · serial 241418
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) RPRTD THE STUDENT MADE A NORMAL APCH & HIS LANDING WAS GOOD, EXCEPT THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS A LITTLE HIGH. HE SAID HE TOLD THE STUDENT 'TO PULL THE THROTTLE BACK' & THAT IT WAS A GOOD LANDING, BUT THE STUDENT ADDED POWER. THE CFI TOLD THE STUDENT TO THROTTLE BACK 2 MORE TIMES. RPRTDLY, THE STUDENT THROTTLED BACK ONCE, THEN ELECTED TO GO AROUND. THE STUDENT SAID THAT DRG THE LANDING, THE ACFT BOUNCED TWICE BEFORE HE TOLD THE CFI HE WAS GOING TO MAKE A GO-AROUND. THE CFI SAID THAT DRG THE GO-AROUND, THE NOSE CAME UP & THE ACFT BEGAN A TURN TO THE LEFT DUE TO THE NOSE HI ATTITUDE & FULL POWER. THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED & THE CFI TOLD THE STUDENT TO REDUCE DRAG BY RETRACTING THE GEAR & FLAPS. DRG THE OCCURRENCE, THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT & TRIED TO RECOVER, BUT THE ACFT MUSHED TO THE GROUND ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED. THERE WERE NO RPRTD MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ACFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACDNT.
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: 8,022 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 8,071 as pilot in command; 5,862 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q99 Hollister CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,100 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.