Mooney M20E accident near Long Beach, California, October 2, 1995
On October 2, 1995 at about 2:07 am local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N79820, was destroyed in an accident near Long Beach, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for undeternined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 1995 · about 2:07 am local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N79820 · no longer on the register · serial 484
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While flying over the ocean, the pilot reported to the radar sector controller that the engine lost power. Then the pilot said that the engine restarted, but didn't sound good. Moments later he reported that the engine lost power and that he was going to ditch the airplane in the ocean. The sector controller immediately initiated search and rescue procedures. The two passengers were rescued. Neither the airplane nor the pilot was recovered. A fixed-base operator reported that on the evening before the accident, the airplane's right fuel tank was almost full; the left fuel tank was between 1/4 and 1/2 full. The pilot had purchased the airplane about 2 weeks before the accident; it could not be determined if the pilot received any instruction or a check-out in the airplane.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 212 hours in all; 196 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVX Avalon CA at 1:50 am
- Destination: POC La Verne CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from LGB, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.