19980406012369I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20E · Oxford, IA · April 6, 1998

Date: April 6, 1998 · 16:15 local
Place: Oxford, IA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3460X
Reported as: Mooney M20E
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360A1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,250 total75 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N3460XRegistered now · Mooney M20ES/N 1142 · Built 1966 Airframe modelMooney M20E Engine modelLycoming I0360 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.

Narrative: aircraft was inbound to Iowa city, IA. Engine started to run rough and lost power. The fuel pressure dropped and boost pump was turned on. Engine ran better. Magnetos were switched from both to left to right and then back to both with no effect. The engine began to lose power again. The pilot switched to the left tank which indicated empty. The engine then regained power until the fuel was used up and then the engine quit. The fuel selector was then moved back to the right tank with little response. The pilot elected to land gear up in an open field. Investigation revealed no fuel in the left tank but there was adequate fuel in the right tank. The right fuel vent tube was plugged with what appeared to be insect or spider larva. Before it was removed no air would pass through the tube and may have caused a vacuum in the tank and engine stoppage due to fuel starvation. This incident is considered closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT WAS INBOUND TO IOWA CITY, IA. ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND LOST POWER. THE FUEL PRESSURE DROPPED AND BOOST PUMP WAS TURNED ON. ENGINE RAN BETTER. MAGNETOS WERE SWITCHED FROM BOTH TO LEFT TO RIGHT AND THEN BACK TO BOTH WITH NO EFFECT. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AGAIN. THE PILOT SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK WHICH INDICATED EMPTY. THE ENGINE THEN REGAINED POWER UNTIL THE FUEL WAS USED UP AND THEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS THEN MOVED BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK WITH LITTLE RESPONSE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND GEAR UP IN AN OPEN FIELD. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK BUT THERE WAS ADEQUATE FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE RIGHT FUEL VENT TUBE WAS PLUGGED WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE INSECT OR SPIDER LARVA. BEFORE IT WAS REMOVED NO AIR WOULD PASS THROUGH THE TUBE AND MAY HAVE CAUSED A VACUUM IN THE TANK AND ENGINE STOPPAGE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.