Mooney M-10 accident near Salinas, CA
On March 25, 2006, a Mooney M-10 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Salinas, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 25, 2006
- Place
- Salinas, CA
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-10 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 36.619°N, 121.180°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060403X00382
Official records · ANC06LA030
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 25, 2006, about 0945 pacific standard time, a Mooney M-10 airplane, N9533V, sustained substantial damage during an impact with terrain following an in-flight loss of control, about 20 miles east of Salinas, California. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot received fatal injuries. Instrument and marginal VFR meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight. No flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed the Watsonville Airport, Watsonville, California, about 0900. The flight was bound for Plainview, Texas. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 27, the FAA aviation safety inspector who visited the accident site said the airplane impacted in steep, hilly terrain, in a nose low, near vertical attitude. He said the airplane did not pass through brush and low trees located directly behind the wreckage. According to the inspector, the foreman of the ranch where the airplane crashed, told him that on the morning of the accident there was low cloud cover, and three-quarters of a mile visibility in rain. During telephone conversations with the NTSB IIC on March 31, pilot-rated witnesses said the accident pilot arrived at the Watsonville Airport on Friday night to pickup the accident airplane, which he had just purchased. They said the pilot refused a checkout in the new airplane, and planned to depart that
Probable cause
The pilot's continued flight into known adverse weather, and his failure to maintain sufficient airspeed, which resulted in a loss of control and an inadvertent stall/spin during cruise flight. Factors associated with the accident are a low ceiling with reduced visibility, and an inadvertent stall/spin.
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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.
