Mooney M20C N7887V
8 June 2015 · Reno, Nevada, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 8 June 2015 at about 23:00 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N7887V was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Reno, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- Reno/Stead (RTS)
- Coordinates
- 39.6792, -119.8667
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C
- Registration
- N7887V
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1964
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Reno → Reno
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR15LA180
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The in-flight separation of the exhaust tube at a weld joint due to erosion and corrosion, which resulted in a subsequent in-flight fire.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airline transport pilot reported that, while on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern, he noticed smoke in the cockpit. The pilot-rated passenger then took control of the airplane and initiated a forced landing. As the pilot and his passenger exited the airplane, they observed flames originating from the lower cowling area near the air intake. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the tube from the turbocharger wastegate to the exhaust was separated into two pieces along a weld joint at the exhaust side of the tube. Corrosion and erosion were noted throughout the areas of the separated exhaust tubes, which included thinning of the wall thickness. In addition, a heavy amount of oil was observed in the area surrounding the tube. It is likely that when the tube failed at the weld joint, it allowed hot exhaust gases to escape from the exhaust and turbocharger that subsequently ignited an in-flight fire.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Apr 2015 | Mooney M20C | Winchester, Tennessee, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Jan 2015 | Mooney M20C | Lonoke county, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Nov 2014 | Mooney M20C | Lewisburg, West Virginia, United States | STONEMAN EXCAVATING Co. INC | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 2016 | Mooney M20C | Williamstown, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 2014 | Mooney M20C | Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 May 2014 | Mooney M20C | Cody, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Feb 2015 | Cessna 185-E | Carson City, Nevada, United States | Andrew T Hoffman | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2015 | Experimental Amat Built KITFOX III | Jackpot, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 2015 | Piper PA 32R-301 | Boulder City, Nevada, United States | Harry Silsby MD P C | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2015 | Piper PA 32-260 | Jackpot, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Oct 2015 | Bell 47G | Searchlight, Nevada, United States | US Helicopter LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 2015 | Piper PA 28 | Elko, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |