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19940824022999A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Mooney M-20G · Bowling Green, OH · August 24, 1994

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 24, 1994 · 16:18 local
Place
Bowling Green, OH
Airport
Wood County Airport
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3916N
NTSB investigation
NTSBBFO94LA149
Reported as
Mooney M20G
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A1D
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,131 total5 in this make and model65 in the last 90 days
N3916NRegistration cancelled Sep 13, 2023 · Mooney M-20GS/N 680061 · Built 1968Airframe modelMooney M-20GEngine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Lost power en route. Unable airport. Hit road sign and ditch on forced landing. Fuel tanks were empty. (.4)according to the pilot, the engine lost power as he was cruising at 6500 feet with a power setting of 2400 RPM and 22 inches of manifold pressure. During a subsequent forced landing on a road, the airplane struck a sign, ditch, and tree. The pilot reported that during the flight, he used the right fuel tank for the first hour and then the left tank for two hours, before he switched back to the right tank. He stated that when he switched back to the right tank, the fuel gages indicated 36 and 108 lbs., respectively, in the left and right tanks. About 30 minutes later, the engine lost power. The engine was restarted, but about 3 minutes later, a power loss occurred again, then the pilot was unable to restart the engine. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were empty and that there was no evidence of leakage. Tachometer information showed the engine had been operated 4.1 hours. Based on full fuel tanks and the pilot's reported cruise altitude/power setting, the airplane should have been able to fly for a total of about 5.4 hours.

As the FAA filed it

LOST POWER EN ROUTE. UNABLE AIRPORT. HIT ROAD SIGN AND DITCH ON FORCED LANDING. FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AS HE WAS CRUISING AT 6500 FEET WITH A POWER SETTING OF 2400 RPM AND 22 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. DURING A SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A SIGN, DITCH, AND TREE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE FLIGHT, HE USED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK FOR THE FIRST HOUR AND THEN THE LEFT TANK FOR TWO HOURS, BEFORE HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK, THE FUEL GAGES INDICATED 36 AND 108 LBS., RESPECTIVELY, IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT TANKS. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED, BUT ABOUT 3 MINUTES LATER, A POWER LOSS OCCURRED AGAIN, THEN THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY AND THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE. TACHOMETER INFORMATION SHOWED THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATED 4.1 HOURS. BASED ON FULL FUEL TANKS AND THE PILOT'S REPORTED CRUISE ALTITUDE/POWER SETTING, THE AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLY FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 5.4 HOURS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB BFO94LA149Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBowling Green, OHfuel exhaustion for undetermined reason(s), which resulted in loss of engine power and a subsequent forced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: faulty fuel quantity gauge/system.Aug 24, 1994 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3916N · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19840410039639ILevel Off Touchdown · Melbourne, FLFailed to extend the landing gear. Landed gear up. Blamed distraction of traffic spacing.Apr 10, 1984 · Minor damage