Mooney M20C accident near Gorman, California, January 2, 1993
On January 2, 1993 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N6790V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gorman, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
1) THE CARBURETOR INLET FUEL LINE BEING IMPROPERLY INSTALLED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHICH ALLOWED THE CARBURETOR TO BECOME CONTAMINATED WITH METAL PARTICLES, AND 2) THE CARBURETOR FLOAT VALVE BEING JAMMED BY METAL PARTICLES WHICH ALLOWED EXCESSIVE FUEL TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE CARBURETOR RESULTING IN FLOODING AND THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT ENCOUNTERING AN UNFAVORABLE CROSSWIND DURING FINAL APPROACH WHICH LED TO THE AIRPLANE'S WING COLLIDING WITH FENCE POSTS DURING LANDING ROLL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 1993 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gorman, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6790V · no longer on the register · serial 700084
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 9,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL WHEN THE ENGINE HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT ENTERED A POWER OFF FORCED LANDING AND PERFORMED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ATTEMPTING TO RE START THE ENGINE. HE COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE STARTED. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON A TWO LANE ROAD ADJACENT TO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED AN UNFAVORABLE LEFT CROSSWIND WHICH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. DURING LANDING ROLL THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING CONTACTED METAL FENCE POSTS AND SPUN THE AIRPLANE INTO AN EMBANKMENT. DURING AN FAA SUPERVISED ENGINE RUN FUEL WAS NOTED AS LEAKING FROM THE CARBURETOR. AN EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED THAT THE INLET FUEL FITTING HAD GALLED OR CROSSFED THREADS. METAL SHAVINGS FROM THE THREADS BYPASSED THE FUEL SCREEN AND TRAVELED DIRECTLY INTO THE FUEL FLOAT VALVE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE FILTER SCREEN. THIS CAUSED THE FLOAT VALVE TO BECOME INOPERATIVE, WHICH RESULTED IN FLOODING THE ENGINE WITH FUEL CAUSING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE HAD A TOTAL TIME OF 7 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 564 hours in all; 385 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 484 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,091 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 1992; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,975 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O69 Petaluma CA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: EMT El Monte CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 300° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.