Mooney M-20C N90MR
26 February 2000 · Boulder, Colorado, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 February 2000 at about 17:45 local time, a Mooney M-20C registered N90MR, operated by Artell, Inc., was involved in an accident near Boulder, Colorado, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 17:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Boulder, Colorado, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Mooney M-20C
- Registration
- N90MR
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Artell, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Broomfield → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN00LA054
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot not following procedures in that he did not periodically clear the engine during an extended glide. The factors were carburetor icing, weather conditions conducive to carburetor ice, and lack of suitable terrain for landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot performed an extended downwind in the landing configuration with carburetor heat on and the power reduced to approximately 13 inches of manifold pressure. When he turned base to final, his engine began to steadily lose power. Attempts to increase the power were unsuccessful, and the pilot performed a forced landing. The weather conditions were outside of indicated carburetor icing conditions on the chart, but a review of the literature on carburetor icing indicates the unpredictable nature of this phenomenon. The power deterioration of this scenario was consistent with documented examples of carburetor icing. The FAA Flight Training Handbook states in the section under 'Descents (Maximum Distance Glides)' that during 'power-off descents, the engine should be cleared periodically to prevent excessive cooling and fouling.' The engine was test run on the airframe. According to the manufacturer's representative, the engine 'startup was immediate, and the engine ran smoothly.'
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M-20C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Feb 2000 | Mooney M-20C | Andrews, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Jan 2001 | Mooney M-20C | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 1998 | Mooney M-20C | Kent Island, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 2003 | Mooney M-20C | Monticello, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Jul 1995 | Mooney M-20C | Monogahela, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Mar 1994 | Mooney M-20C | Hyampom, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Oct 2000 | Bell 206L-1 | Mesa Verde, Colorado, United States | U.s. Bureau of Reclamation | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2000 | Piper PA-44-180T | Englewood, Colorado, United States | Aspen Flying Club | No injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 2000 | Beechcraft A60 | Englewood, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 2000 | Mooney M20J | Longmont, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 2000 | Piper PA-31-350 | Kiowa, Colorado, United States | Key Lime Air, Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Jun 2000 | Cessna 172N | Durango, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |