Mooney M20A N8118E

Summary

On 28 May 1990 at about 19:42 local time, a Mooney M20A registered N8118E was involved in an accident near Apache Junction, Arizona, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 May 1990 at 19:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Apache Junction, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Mooney M20A

Registration

N8118E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Globe → Mesa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX90LA197

2 people had minor injuries.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO PROPERLY MANAGE THE AIRCRAFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATION AND FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE BY SWITCHING FUEL TANKS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS IMPROPER MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY THE PILOT WHICH DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION FROM THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A MOONEY M20 COLLIDED WITH A GRAVEL PIT DURING THE LANDING ROLL AFTER A FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT. THE FIRST ATTEMPT WAS ABORTED DUE TO THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE BREAKING. THE PILOT SAFETY WIRED THE CARBURETOR TO THE FULL RICH POSITION. WHEN THE PILOT TOOK OFF THE SECOND TIME HE HAD FUEL TANK SELECTOR SWITCHED TO A FUEL CELL WITH ONLY THIRTY FIVE MINUTES OF FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WHICH IS SWITCHABLE TO READ THE QUANTITY IN ONLY ONE OF THE FUEL CELLS. THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WAS SWITCHED TO READ THE FUEL QUANTITY OF THE OTHER FUEL CELL, WHICH CONTAINED ABOUT ONE HOUR OF FUEL. AFTER ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES OF FLIGHT THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT THOUGHT THE POWER LOSS WAS RELATED TO THE DISCREPANCY WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL. HE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO SWITCH TANKS. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN ROUGH TERRAIN RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.