Mooney M20F N43NC

Summary

On 25 February 1983 at about 20:30 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N43NC was involved in an accident near Anniston, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

25 February 1983 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Anniston, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

33.6498, -85.8797

Aircraft

Mooney M20F

Registration

N43NC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marietta → Conway

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL83FA121

1 person had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED. THE PLT STATED THAT HE DRAINED BOTH TANKS AFTER REFUELING BY USING THE STRAINER PULL HANDLE IN THE COCKPIT WITH THE SELECTOR POSITIONED TO EACH TANK. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT DRAIN THE INDIVIDUAL TANK SUMPS. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE CLIMBED TO 8000 FT & WAS IN NORMAL CRUISE, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE NOTED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE HAD DROPPED TO NEAR ZERO & HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE THE PRESSURE OR START THE ENGINE. WHILE LANDING IN WINDS GUSTING TO 22 KTS, HE CLEARED POWER LINES, BUT JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT STRUCK A TREE. NO DISCREPANCIES OF THE ACFT WERE FOUND EXCEPT WATER IN SOME LOCATIONS OF THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FLT MANUAL NOTED THAT FREEZING TEMPS WERE COMMON ABOVE 8000 FT & IF ENCOUNTERED, CONDENSED WATER IN THE LINES WOULD FREEZE & CAUSE FUEL STARVATION; THEREFORE, SUMPS SHOULD BE DRAINED BEFORE EACH FLT & AFTER EACH REFUELING. IT ALSO WARNS TO ALLOW 5 MIN FOR WATER & SEDIMENT TO SETTLE IN THE TANKS & FUEL SELECTOR VALVE BEFORE TAKING SAMPLES. TEMP AT 8000 FT APRX 28 DEG.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.