Mooney 20J N1074Z

Summary

On 5 January 2003 at about 18:15 local time, a Mooney 20J registered N1074Z was involved in an accident near Morristown, New Jersey, 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

5 January 2003 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Morristown, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Morristown municipal (MMU)

Coordinates

40.7992, -74.4147

Aircraft

Mooney 20J

Registration

N1074Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morristown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD03LA025

Nobody was injured.

Ice in the fuel system, which resulted in restricted fuel flow and a subsequent loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after departure, at an altitude of about 700 feet, the airplane's engine sputtered, then lost power. The pilot initiated a right turn back toward the airport, and attempted a forced landing to a taxiway. During the landing, the airplane's left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing hit the ground. Examination of the airplane's fuel tanks shortly after the accident revealed they were full; however, only a trace of fuel was observed in the fuel filter bowl. The fuel tanks were sumped, and fuel flow was observed to be lower than normal, although no water or ice was observed. After the airplane was thawed in a hangar overnight, fuel flow increased. When the engine was subsequently test run on the airframe, it started without hesitation and ran continuously at various power settings. The airplane had been parked outside during the night prior to the accident flight. The low temperature that night was 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and the dewpoint was 28 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, light snow and mist were reported throughout the night. According to the pilot, he cleared a significant amount of ice from the airplane during the preflight inspection. Temperature at the time of the accident was 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.