Mooney M20F accident near Prescott, Arizona, April 8, 1989
On April 8, 1989 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20F, registered N9705M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prescott, Arizona (Ernest A Love Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PLT TO LEAN THE FUEL MIXTURE FOR THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CFI'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE OPERATING PROCEDURES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1989 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Ernest A Love Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F · all M20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N9705M · registry record · serial 670265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 5,042 FEET, AND THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 7,600 FEET. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THEY HAD ABORTED THE FIRST TAKEOFF ATTEMPT BECAUSE THE ENGINE RPM WAS INSUFFICIENT FOR TAKEOFF. ON THE NEXT ATTEMPT, THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE AND FLEW IN GROUND EFFECT. THE ENGINE RPM WAS INSUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL AND BANKED THE AIRPLANE TO AVOID POWERLINES. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO AN OPEN FIELD. THE CFI DID NOT LEAN THE MIXTURE FOR TAKEOFF. HE SAID HE BELIEVED THE CARBURETOR HAD AN AUTO-LEAN FEATURE AND HE DID NOT HAVE TO LEAN THE MIXTURE. THE IO-360 ENGINE IS FUEL INJECTED AND DOES NOT HAVE AUTO-LEAN. POST ACCIDENT ENGINE RUN REVEALED THE ENGINE WAS CAPABLE OF NORMAL OPERATION WITH FUEL MIXTURE PROPERLY SET.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,450 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 1,360 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,323 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1989; 2 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: PRC at 5:57 pm
- Destination: INW Winslow AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:03 pm from PRC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX89LA151.