Mooney M-18C 55 N201MM

Summary

On 26 May 2023 at about 01:46 local time, a Mooney M-18C 55 registered N201MM, operated by Karen Harms, Michael Harms, Oren Redsun, was involved in an accident near Napa, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 May 2023 at 01:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Napa, California, United States

Nearest airport

Napa County (APC)

Coordinates

38.2978, -122.2555

Aircraft

Mooney M-18C 55

Registration

N201MM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1955

Engines

1

Operator

Karen Harms, Michael Harms, Oren Redsun

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Willows → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA202

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and a subsequent impact with terrain during a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was on an approach to the airport about 3,000 ft above ground level (agl) when the engine lost all power. The pilot cycled the throttle control to full, but the engine did not restart and the propeller continued to windmill. He then declared an emergency and initiated a forced landing onto an open field about 5 miles north of the runway. During the landing roll on unimproved terrain, the left wing struck a large rock and came to rest nose down. Subsequently, the left wing sustained substantial damage. During recovery of the aircraft, about 20 gallons of fuel remained in its tanks; a postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies. The temperature at the airport, which was about 6 miles south of the accident site, was 63°F and the dew point was 52°F; the relative humidity was about 67%. A review of the icing probability chart contained within FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 revealed that the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were "conducive to serious icing at glide [idle] power." The pilot added that he did not use carburetor heat during the descent and approach and that he should have used a pre-landing checklist.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.