Mooney M-20F accident near Summit, Utah, June 25, 2006
On June 25, 2006, a Mooney M-20F, registered N2987L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Summit, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain during a climb. Encounter with a severe downdraft, and mountainous terrain were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2006
- Place
- Summit, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20F · all M-20Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2987L · no longer on the register · serial 670346
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing out of a valley in mountainous terrain, the aircraft encountered a severe downdraft while crossing over a ridge. As the aircraft began to sink, the pilot added full power, lowered the nose, and kept the wings level. The aircraft did not climb at a greater rate than the downdraft was sinking, and it eventually descended into the terrain in a wings-level position. According to the pilot, there were no problems with the aircraft's engine or flight controls.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,936 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCDC Cedar City UT
- Destination: KCDC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.