What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Went off taxiway at night and down an embankment. Had lost electrical power. Unable see taxiway line. (.4)the pilot said that he experienced a total electrical failure while on a night cross-country flight. He landed without incident but while taxiing along the unlit taxiway, he lost sight of the centerline stripe. The airplane went off the taxiway and down an embankment. The airport night manager said the pilot told him he would 'turn on the navigation lights, if necessary,' to warn other airplanes. Postaccident inspection disclosed that when the master switch was turned on, all electrical components functioned normally. A specific gravity check indicated the battery was fully charged. According to the operator's records, the hobbs meter and tachometer registered 65.9 and 3903.3, respectively, when the pilot checked the airplane out. At the accident site, the hobbs meter and tachometer registered 67.6 and 3905.1, respectively, a hobbs meter difference of 1.7 hours and a tachometer difference of 1.8 hours. The operator said he believed the pilot had turned off the master switch in an attempt to save on rental charges. He had also received reports from other renter pilots who said the pilot had bragged abput saving money by turning off the master switch. An FAA inspector said that, based on the point where the aircraft departed the taxiway and its point of impact, taxi speed was excessive. (-23) on may 17, 1998, at approximately 2105 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20E, N1306W, received substantial damage when it went off the taxiway and down an embankment at Front Range Airport, watkins, Colorado. A VFR flight plan had been filed and visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. According to the pilot, it was a dark night and the aircraft experienced a total electrical failure while in level cruise flight. After landing at Front Range Airport, and during the taxi to the ramp, the pilot stated he lost sight of the taxiway centerline and the aircraft departed the taxiway and went down an embankment and came to a stop at the bottom of the embankment. The landing gear sheared causing substantial damge to the airframe.
As the FAA filed it
WENT OFF TAXIWAY AT NIGHT AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. HAD LOST ELECTRICAL POWER. UNABLE SEE TAXIWAY LINE. (.4)THE PILOT SAID THAT HE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE ON A NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. HE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT WHILE TAXIING ALONG THE UNLIT TAXIWAY, HE LOST SIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE STRIPE. THE AIRPLANE WENT OFF THE TAXIWAY AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE AIRPORT NIGHT MANAGER SAID THE PILOT TOLD HIM HE WOULD 'TURN ON THE NAVIGATION LIGHTS, IF NECESSARY,' TO WARN OTHER AIRPLANES. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION DISCLOSED THAT WHEN THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON, ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. A SPECIFIC GRAVITY CHECK INDICATED THE BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR'S RECORDS, THE HOBBS METER AND TACHOMETER REGISTERED 65.9 AND 3903.3, RESPECTIVELY, WHEN THE PILOT CHECKED THE AIRPLANE OUT. AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE HOBBS METER AND TACHOMETER REGISTERED 67.6 AND 3905.1, RESPECTIVELY, A HOBBS METER DIFFERENCE OF 1.7 HOURS AND A TACHOMETER DIFFERENCE OF 1.8 HOURS. THE OPERATOR SAID HE BELIEVED THE PILOT HAD TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH IN AN ATTEMPT TO SAVE ON RENTAL CHARGES. HE HAD ALSO RECEIVED REPORTS FROM OTHER RENTER PILOTS WHO SAID THE PILOT HAD BRAGGED ABPUT SAVING MONEY BY TURNING OFF THE MASTER SWITCH. AN FAA INSPECTOR SAID THAT, BASED ON THE POINT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE TAXIWAY AND ITS POINT OF IMPACT, TAXI SPEED WAS EXCESSIVE. (-23) ON MAY 17, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 2105 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MOONEY M20E, N1306W, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT WENT OFF THE TAXIWAY AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AT FRONT RANGE AIRPORT, WATKINS, COLORADO. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, IT WAS A DARK NIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT. AFTER LANDING AT FRONT RANGE AIRPORT, AND DURING THE TAXI TO THE RAMP, THE PILOT STATED HE LOST SIGHT OF THE TAXIWAY CENTERLINE AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE TAXIWAY AND WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO A STOP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMBANKMENT. THE LANDING GEAR SHEARED CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMGE TO THE AIRFRAME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1306W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.