Mooney M20D accident near Placerville, California, September 12, 2007
On September 12, 2007 at about 2:55 am local time, a Mooney M20D, registered N1229X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Placerville, California (Placerville Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing. A contributing factor was the pilots impaired performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2007 · about 2:55 am local time
- Place
- Placerville, California · Placerville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20D · all M20Ds on the register
- Registration
- N1229X · registry record · serial 200
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot did not extend the gear prior to landing and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the tubular structure on the underside of the fuselage. The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was flying it on a cross-country flight. During the flight, the pilot became ill and diverted to a nearby airport. The airplane bounced upon touchdown and the airplane skidded down the runway. The pilot reported to responding police personnel that he forgot to extend the landing gear. Post accident examination of the airplane and landing gear systems by the Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no mechanical anomalies with the landing gear system.
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
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCR Buchanan Field CA
- Destination: CXP Carson Airport NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,201 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from MHR, 27 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 SEA07CA268.