Mooney M20K N231EB

Summary

On 1 October 2011 at about 16:45 local time, a Mooney M20K registered N231EB, operated by Baldwin Robert A IV, was involved in an accident near Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 October 2011 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Danbury Muncipal Airport (DXR)

Coordinates

41.3597, -73.5017

Aircraft

Mooney M20K

Registration

N231EB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Baldwin Robert A IV

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ridgefield → Ridgefield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12LA001

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he completed a preflight inspection, which included checking the fuel quantity and conducting an engine run-up, without any discrepancies noted. The airplane took off without incident; however, at about 1,100 feet mean sea level, when the pilot made a right crosswind turn, the engine lost total power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine and subsequently completed a forced landing to a residential area. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel selector was observed positioned to the left fuel tank, which did not contain any fuel. The right fuel tank contained about 8 gallons of fuel. The fuel tanks were intact and there was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.