Mooney M20C N6790V

Summary

On 2 January 1993 at about 23:30 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N6790V, operated by Daniel G. Olivier, was involved in an accident near Gorman, California, United States. 2 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

2 January 1993 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Gorman, California, United States

Coordinates

34.8591, -118.8704

Aircraft

Mooney M20C

Registration

N6790V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Daniel G. Olivier

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Petaluma → El Monte

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

LAX93LA089

2 people had minor injuries.

1) THE CARBURETOR INLET FUEL LINE BEING IMPROPERLY INSTALLED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHICH ALLOWED THE CARBURETOR TO BECOME CONTAMINATED WITH METAL PARTICLES, AND 2) THE CARBURETOR FLOAT VALVE BEING JAMMED BY METAL PARTICLES WHICH ALLOWED EXCESSIVE FUEL TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE CARBURETOR RESULTING IN FLOODING AND THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT ENCOUNTERING AN UNFAVORABLE CROSSWIND DURING FINAL APPROACH WHICH LED TO THE AIRPLANE'S WING COLLIDING WITH FENCE POSTS DURING LANDING ROLL.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 9,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL WHEN THE ENGINE HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT ENTERED A POWER OFF FORCED LANDING AND PERFORMED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ATTEMPTING TO RE START THE ENGINE. HE COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE STARTED. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON A TWO LANE ROAD ADJACENT TO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED AN UNFAVORABLE LEFT CROSSWIND WHICH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. DURING LANDING ROLL THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING CONTACTED METAL FENCE POSTS AND SPUN THE AIRPLANE INTO AN EMBANKMENT. DURING AN FAA SUPERVISED ENGINE RUN FUEL WAS NOTED AS LEAKING FROM THE CARBURETOR. AN EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED THAT THE INLET FUEL FITTING HAD GALLED OR CROSSFED THREADS. METAL SHAVINGS FROM THE THREADS BYPASSED THE FUEL SCREEN AND TRAVELED DIRECTLY INTO THE FUEL FLOAT VALVE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE FILTER SCREEN. THIS CAUSED THE FLOAT VALVE TO BECOME INOPERATIVE, WHICH RESULTED IN FLOODING THE ENGINE WITH FUEL CAUSING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE HAD A TOTAL TIME OF 7 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.