# Incident 19980406012369I: Mooney M20E, Oxford, IA, April 6, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 6, 1998, 16:15 local time
- Place: Oxford, IA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.7228° N, 91.7911° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Oxford, IA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7228&lon=-91.7911&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3460X, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3460X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20E (registry code 5870212, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20E
- Reported engine: LYC IO360A1A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,250 total, 75 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980406012369I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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