# Accident 19980517019699A: Mooney M20E, Denver, CO, May 17, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 17, 1998, 21:30 local time - Place: Denver, CO - Airport: Front Range Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.7508° N, 104.5990° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7508&lon=-104.5990&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1306W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1306W) (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: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 131 total, 23 in this make and model, 21 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA222](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA222) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980517019699A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 FTW98LA222](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA222), May 18, 1998: Mooney M20E (N1306W), Watkins, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain visual contact with the taxiway. Factors were the pilot's disabling the electrical system by turning off the master switch, a dark night, and excessive taxi speed. ## Other reports on N1306W (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19791221039859A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19791221039859A), Dec 21, 1979: Mooney M20E (N1306W), Burley, ID, Substantial damage. Pilot did not drain fuel tanks. Water in tanks caused engine to stop after takeoff. Landed in field. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.