Mooney M20J N4780H

Summary

On 25 March 1994 at about 20:30 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N4780H was involved in an accident near Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 March 1994 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Muscle Shoals (MSL)

Coordinates

34.7408, -87.6398

Aircraft

Mooney M20J

Registration

N4780H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Talahasse

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL94LA070

Nobody was injured.

WAS THE LOOSE THROTTLE CABLE, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF WHEN THE ENGINE DID NOT PRODUCE FULL POWER. A FACTOR WAS THE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE ENGINE DID NOT PRODUCE FULL POWER DURING TAKEOFf. A LONGER THAN NORMAL TAKE OFF ROLL OCCURRED, WHICH USED OVER HALF OF THE 4,000 FOOT LONG RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE POWER OUTPUT DECREASED AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A DOWNWIND AND RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY, AT LOW LEVEL. ON FINAL APPROACH, PRIOR TO REACHING THE RUNWAY, THE LEFT WING HIT THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS FOUND LOOSE, WHICH PREVENTED OBTAINING FULL POWER. AN ENTRY IN THE AIRCRAFT LOG INDICATED THAT AN ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN PERFORMED THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE ENGINE LOG ALSO CONTAINED AN ENTRY INDICATING A 100 HOUR INSPECTION HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THE PREVIOUS DAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.