Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Andreas, California 95249
Sunday, March 26, 1989 12:20 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES RPRTD THERE WAS AN INTERRUPTION OF ENG POWER AS THE ACFT WAS MANEUVERING AT LOW ALT, THEN IT ENTERED A DSCNT WITH THE WINGS ROTATING & CRASHED. A SWATH THRU THE TREES IN THE IMPACT AREA INDICATED THE ACFT WAS IN A LEFT WING LOW/NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHEN IT CRASHED. THE PROP BLADES HAD EVIDENCE OF CHORDWISE SCRATCHES & DEEP LEADING EDGE GOUGES. ALSO, A TREE LIMB WAS FOUND THAT HAD BEEN SLICED; IT CONTAINED BLACK PAINT THAT MATCHED PAINT ON THE PROP.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INTERRUPTION OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, AND FAILUE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL/SPIN. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: LACK OF ALTITUDE TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL/SPIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/26/1989
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1220
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City SAN ANDREAS
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95249
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1152 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 220
Weather Observation Facility ID SCK
Elevation of weather observation facility 30
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 32
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 5
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 2000
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1400
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 26 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1330
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39700
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:32PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9379M
NTSB Number LAX89FA133
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20F
Aircraft Series Identifier M20F
Aircraft Serial Number 670003
Certified Max Gross Weight 2740
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 15 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DRACO, CHARLES & SHARON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3273 OXFORD ROAD
Aircraft Owner City CAMERON PARK
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95682
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DRAGO, CHARLES R.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 3273 OXFORD ROAD
Operator City CAMERON PARK
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 95682
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 061
Departure City CAMERON PARK
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1159
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --