Mooney M20K N1157P

Summary

On 10 February 2001 at about 21:55 local time, a Mooney M20K registered N1157P was involved in an accident near New Hudson, Michigan, 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

10 February 2001 at 21:55

Classification

Accident

Location

New Hudson, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.5007, -83.6107

Aircraft

Mooney M20K

Registration

N1157P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portland → Pontiac

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01LA088

Nobody was injured.

Inadequate preflight planning/preparation which resulted in an adequate fuel supply for the flight and subsequently in fuel starvation. A factor associated with the accident was the steep bank which the airplane contacted during the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane contacted the terrain during a forced landing on a frozen lake following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported he departed Cincinnati, Ohio at 1330 for the one hour flight to Portland, Tennessee. He then departed Portland, Tennessee, at 1445 en route to Pontiac, Michigan. The pilot estimated having 80 gallons of fuel on board at the time of departure "…based upon visual inspection and my tank and dashboard gauges." The pilot reported he was level at 4,500 feet, 20 miles south of Pontiac, when there was a change in engine sound. He reported, "The pitch varied for about 3 seconds and then my TIT went to the top. I immediately richened the mixture. The gas gauges showed 1/3 on each tank. I had been alternating the tanks to keep them even during flight. Another 5 seconds passed and then the plane lost all power. I immediately switched from the left to the right tank. I hit the boost pump and after 2 seconds I got a 2 second burst of power which could not be replicated despite numerous efforts to do so." The pilot attempted to divert to the nearest airport but was unable to reach it. A forced landing was made on a frozen lake where the airplane slid across the lake coming to rest after contacting steep bank of the far shoreline. Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed one quart of fuel remained in the right fuel tank and between 6 and 6 1/2 gallons of fuel were in the left tank. There was no evidence of fuel leakage on the frozen lake either during the accident or removal of the airplane. The airplane was equipped with the Rocket STC SA5691NM, for installation of the Continental TSIO-520-NB engine and a McCauley 3-blade propeller.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.