# Accident 19980208015439A: Mooney M20J, Davis, WV, February 8, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 8, 1998, 16:15 local time
- Place: Davis, WV
- Airport: Windwood Fly-In Resort Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.1304° N, 79.4601° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1304&lon=-79.4601&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4120H (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Reported engine: LYC IO360A3B6
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 700 total, 293 in this make and model, 47 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA026) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980208015439A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

REPORTED POWER LOSS ON CLIMBOUT. NOSED OVER IN SNOW COVERED FIELD ON FORCED LANDING. (.4) DURING TAKEOFF AND AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOST POWER. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON A SNOW COVERED FIELD, NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE ENGINE WAS TESTED AND THE FUEL FLOW WAS FOUND FLUCTUATING.  THE FUEL INJECTOR SERVO SYSTEM WAS TESTED AND THE FOLLOWING DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND: THE SAFETY WIRE ATTACHED TO THE PLUG UTILIZED TO ADJUST THE DIAPHRAGMS INSIDE THE FUEL SERVO WAS MISSING, BENCH TESTING INDICATED THAT THE DIAPHRAGMS WERE OUT OF LIMITS, THE FUEL INLET SCREEN WAS CLOGGED WITH CONTAMINATION, AND ONE OF THE FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLES WAS BLOCKED. (-23) AIRCRAFT LOST POWER DURING TAKEOFF AND TOUCHED DOWN IN A SNOW COVERED FIELD PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY.  THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED FOR SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE THE NOSE GEAR DUG INTO THE SOFT SNOW, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ON TO IT'S BACK.  AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND ONE OCCUPANT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES.  THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF POWER IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME, PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION.                                       (-23) AIRCRAFT LOST POWER DURING TAKEOFF AND TOUCHED DOWN IN A SNOW COVERED FIELD PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED FOR SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE THE NOSE GEAR DUG INTO THE SOFT SNOW, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ONTO ITS BACK. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAAMGE AND ONE OCCUPANT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF POWER IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME, PENDING FURTHER INVESTIATION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD98LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA026), Feb 8, 1998: Mooney M20J (N4120H), Davis, WV, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of power due to blockage of the fuel screen and one of the four fuel injector nozzles. A contributing factor was snow covered terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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