Mooney M20K N1079G
3 January 1999 · Delano, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 3 January 1999 at about 00:40 local time, a Mooney M20K registered N1079G was involved in an accident near Delano, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 00:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Delano, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.7805, -119.2299
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K
- Registration
- N1079G
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Elko → Bakersfield
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX99LA065
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The fatigue failure and separation of the oil pump drive from the accessory gear section, which induced an oil starvation failure of the engine. The fatigue failure of the oil pump drive gear was caused by improper machining of the gear's fillet radius during original manufacture.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was on radar vectors for an ILS approach when a complete engine power loss occurred during IMC conditions. The pilot descended through the clouds and fog and collided with trees in an orchard. The pilot said he noticed the low voltage enunciator light illuminate then the oil pressure dropped to zero and the engine seized. Examination of the engine disclosed oil starvation damage and failures to the bearings and connecting rods. The oil pump drive gear was found separated from its shaft and loose in the accessory gear case. A metallurgical examination of the oil pump drive gear revealed rough machine marks located all around the fillet radius between the longitudinal shaft and web portions of the gear.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20K accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Mar 1999 | Mooney M20K | Medicine Bow, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 1999 | Mooney M20K | McAlester, Oklahoma, United States | John P. McDaniel | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Mar 1999 | Mooney M20K | Counts, Virginia, United States | Raymond V. Onley | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Mar 1998 | Mooney M20K | Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 May 1998 | Mooney M20K | Bakersfield, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 May 2000 | Mooney M20K | Grt Barrington, Massachusetts, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 1999 | Rhea KR-2 | Moreno Valley, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 1999 | Cessna 172A | Shoshone, California, United States | Charles R. Christman | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 1999 | Piper PA-22-150 | Strathmore, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Sep 1999 | Cessna 172N | San Jose, California, United States | Concord Flight Intl, Inc | No injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 1999 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Concord, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Azusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |