Mooney M20C N6896U
3 November 2009 · Fairview, North Carolina, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 3 November 2009 at about 22:20 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N6896U was involved in an accident near Fairview, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously 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 22:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fairview, North Carolina, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.4967, -82.4078
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C
- Registration
- N6896U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Winston-Salem → Asheville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA10LA047
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane was about 8,000 feet above mean sea level on an instrument flight rules flight when the pilot reported a total loss of engine power to air traffic control (ATC). Upon request of the pilot, ATC provided vectors to a nearby airport. When it became apparent that the airplane would not make it, the pilot elected to land in an empty field divided by a line of trees. As the airplane made its final approach, its right wing impacted a tree, causing the airplane to swing around and impact the ground nose first before coming to rest inverted. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported no visual indication or odor of fuel at the accident site. The wreckage recovery crew also reported that no fuel was observed during the recovery process. A wreckage examination revealed no discrepancy with the airplane’s fuel system. The pilot stated that the airplane was topped off 17 days prior to the accident and that he flew four flights for a total of 4 hours, including the accident flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 2009 | Mooney M20C | Marathon, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2009 | Mooney M20C | Elma, Washington, United States | Donald C Mead | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Feb 2009 | Mooney M20C | Elbert, Colorado, United States | Alpha Aviation Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Mar 2008 | Mooney M20C | Atkins, Virginia, United States | A. Roy Sanwalka | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Aug 2008 | Mooney M20C | Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Mar 2008 | Mooney M20C | Freeport, Bahamas | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 2009 | Cirrus SR22 | Elkin, North Carolina, United States | Obi-1 At Pensacola Inc | No injuries | - |
| 14 Dec 2009 | Boeing MD | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | American Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 2009 | Remos REMOS G-3/ | Sims, North Carolina, United States | Massey John Thomas | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2009 | Cessna R182 | Hayesville, North Carolina, United States | Houston Air Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Aug 2009 | Beechcraft C24R | Sylva, North Carolina, United States | Lovins Branch & Company PC | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 Apr 2009 | Cessna 177 | Kinston, North Carolina, United States | Rogerson Benjamin | No injuries | - |