Mooney M20E accident near The Dalles, Oregon, April 16, 1988
On April 16, 1988 at about 6:45 am local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N7158V, was substantially damaged in an accident near The Dalles, Oregon (The Dalles airport). 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 1988 · about 6:45 am local time
- Place
- The Dalles, Oregon · The Dalles · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N7158V · no longer on the register · serial 21-0053
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON ARRIVAL, PLT FOUND DESTINATION OBSCURED BY UNFORECAST FOG, HELD BRIEFLY, THEN DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT. ON ARRIVAL AT ALT IN DARKNESS, PLT DID NOT KNOW FREQ (UNICOM) TO ACTIVATE RWY LIGHTS. PLT MADE LOW PASS TO ACQUIRE RWY ENVIRONMENT AS FUEL STATE WAS CRITICAL. ON SIGHTING A RUNWAY, PLT EFFECTED LNDG BUT WAS WELL DOWN 4649-FT LENGTH AND OVERRAN INTO RAVINE.
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: 1,833 hours in all; 341 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1,722 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,829 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 1987; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BYI Burley ID at 2:45 am
- Destination: KLS Kelso WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 4,649 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 am from DLS
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.