Mooney M20C N707JH
31 August 2003 · Watsonville, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 31 August 2003 at about 03:05 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N707JH was involved in an accident near Watsonville, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 03:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Watsonville, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI)
- Coordinates
- 36.9219, -121.8383
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C
- Registration
- N707JH
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Madera → Watsonville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night
- NTSB number
- LAX03LA271
People
3 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the non-instrument rated pilot's intentional continuance of VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain clearance with terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane collided with trees and terrain while the pilot was searching for the airport in instrument metrological conditions (IMC). Prior to departure, the non-instrument rated 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 located to the east of the airport, the pilot observed the ground to be obscured by fog. The pilot continued further west, maneuvering the airplane over Monterey bay and then circled back to the east toward the airport. While en route, the pilot was searching for the lights on the golf driving range, located about 1/2 mile west of the airport. He was unable to see the lights, and the airplane impacted mountainous terrain, coming to rest in an oak tree. Several minutes before the accident weather reports indicated overcast ceilings of 300 feet above ground level with a visibility of 7 miles.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun 2003 | Mooney M20C | Boise, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 2003 | Mooney M20C | Lakeland, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 2003 | Mooney M20C | Blanding, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 1 Jul 2003 | Mooney M20C | Englewood, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jan 2003 | Mooney M20C | Warner Springs, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Mar 2003 | Mooney M20C | Colo Springs, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2003 | Cessna 414 | Palm Springs, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 2003 | Omf OMF-100-160 | Van Nuys, California, United States | Alliance International | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 2003 | Cessna 152 | Salinas, California, United States | Squadron 2 | No injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 2003 | Beechcraft A36TC | Visalia, California, United States | John Rodgers | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2003 | Cessna 150F | Reedley, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2003 | McClanahan STITS PLAYMATE SA-11 | Fontana, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |