Mooney M20 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, December 24, 1989
On December 24, 1989 at about 9:52 pm local time, a Mooney M20, registered N6879N, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 1989 · about 9:52 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20 · all M20s on the register
- Registration
- N6879N · no longer on the register · serial 680154
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING AN OVERWATER FLIGHT, HE NOTED A PARTIAL LOSS OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND ENGINE POWER. HE INITIATED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE POWER OR MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE WAS DITCHED AT SEA AND WAS NOT RECOVERED. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED BY THE US COAST GUARD.
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
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,510 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 20, 1989; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYGF Freeprt,Bahamas OF at 9:27 pm
- Destination: FLL Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:47 pm from FLL, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.