Mooney M20A N8391E

Summary

On 19 June 1987 at about 15:50 local time, a Mooney M20A registered N8391E was involved in an accident near Middlefield, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

19 June 1987 at 15:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Middlefield, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Geauga County (7G8)

Coordinates

41.4490, -81.0701

Aircraft

Mooney M20A

Registration

N8391E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cleveland → Midland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL87LA172

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

THE ACFT STRUCK A FENCE DURING A FORCED LDG, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE PWR IN FLIGHT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HAD TOPPED OFF BOTH MAIN FUEL TANKS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE AT ABOUT 4000 FT MSL, HE SMELLED FUEL FUMES IN THE COCKPIT. HE OBSERVED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE FOR THE TANK IN USE WAS INDICATING 1/2 FULL. THE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOST POWER SHORTLY THEREAFTER. EFFORTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE BY TURNING ON THE BOOST PUMP AND SWITCHING TANKS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT BY THE FAA REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A FUEL GASCOLATOR LEAK. THE GASCOLATOR GASKETS APPEARED TO BE HOMEMADE. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND TO EXIST IN THE REST OF THE FUEL SYSTEM OR THE ENGINE. THE ACFT HAD ACQUIRED 2 HRS FLT TIME SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL, WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED THE ANNUAL REPORTED THAT HE HAD DISASSEMBLED AND CLEANED THE GASCOLATOR PRIOR TO COMPLETING THE INSPECTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.