Mooney M20C N78896
17 March 1996 · Kingston, Tennessee, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 17 March 1996 at about 23:55 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N78896 was involved in an accident near Kingston, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:55
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Kingston, Tennessee, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.8702, -84.5095
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C
- Registration
- N78896
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Meadow Lake → Jacksboro
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- ATL96LA067
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate pre-flight inspection, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he had just departed Meadow Lake, and was in cruise flight at about 2,000 feet above ground level when the aircraft engine lost power. He attempted to execute a forced landing in a field. The aircraft struck a utility building during the forced landing. The initial postcrash inspection revealed that the airplane was intact and fuel tanks did not appear to be compromised. The fuel tanks were examined, the right fuel tank contained no fuel, and the left fuel tank contained a small amount of residual fuel. The fuel gauges were inspected, and the right fuel quantity indicator showed full, although there was no fuel in the airplane. The pilot stated he did not perform a complete walk around of the airplane before the flight, or visibly check the fuel quantity. He used only the fuel gauges as a reference for fuel quantity, and thought he had 26 gallons on board before takeoff.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Apr 1996 | Mooney M20C | St Augustine, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 1996 | Mooney M20C | Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1996 | Mooney M20C | Payson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Dec 1996 | Mooney M20C | Roxboro, North Carolina, United States | Wayne A. Fleming | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Jul 1997 | Mooney M20C | Sarepta, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Jun 1997 | Mooney M20C | Bellwood, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Mar 1996 | Boeing 727-225 | Memphis, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 1996 | Aeronca 7BCM | Portland, Tennessee, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 1996 | Cessna 172N | Arlington, Tennessee, United States | Memphis East Aviation | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Jan 1996 | Cessna 210H | Columbia, Tennessee, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Feb 1996 | Douglas DC-9-32 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1996 | Boeing 737-200 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |