Mooney M20C accident near Watsonville, CA
On August 31, 2003, a Mooney M20C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Watsonville, CA. 3 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 31, 2003
- Place
- Watsonville, CA
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 3 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 36.922°N, 121.838°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030905X01474
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 30, 2003, about 2005 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20C, N707JH, collided with trees and terrain in Watsonville, California. The private pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and two passengers sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Madera Municipal Airport, Madera, California, about 1930, with a planned destination of Watsonville. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. In a written statement, a sheriff's deputy who responded to the accident stated that while the right seat passenger was in the ambulance, he spoke to him regarding the accident. The passenger reported that the airplane was based in Columbia, California, but the accident flight departed Madera about 1930, with a planned destination of Watsonville. Prior to departure, the pilot programmed the flight's intended route into the moving map display of the onboard global positioning system (GPS), as a means to navigate. After passing over mountains east of Watsonville, the pilot and passenger were unable to obtain visual contact with the airport, as it was obscured with fog. The pilot continued further west, maneuvering the airplane over the bay and then circled back to the east toward the airport. While heading east, they were searching for the lights on the golf driving range, located about 1/2 mile west of the airport. They were unable to see the lights and the airplane crashed into terrain. During the investigation,
Probable cause
the non-instrument rated pilot's intentional continuance of VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain clearance with terrain.
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Browse: California · Mooney aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
