# Accident 19981018029539A: Mooney M20A, Oklahoma City, OK, October 18, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 18, 1998, 10:00 local time - Place: Oklahoma City, OK - Airport: Sundance Airpark Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.6018° N, 97.7062° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Sundance Airpark (HSD), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6018&lon=-97.7062&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6534B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6534B) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20A (registry code 5870204, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20A - Reported engine: LYC O360A1D - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 403 total, 30 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA010) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981018029539A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION RESULTING IN A EMERGENCY LANDING, ACFT STRUCK A TERRACE IN A PASTURE ON LANDING.(.19) ON OCTOBER 18, 1998, AT 1000 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MOONEY M20A AIRPLANE, N6534B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HER TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SUNDANCE AIRPARK, NEAR YUKON, OKLAHOMA, APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER SOON AFTER DEPARTING FROM RUNWAY 35 AT AN ALTITUDE OF 400 TO 500 FEET AGL. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE CONCENTRATED IN FLYING THE AIRPLANE TO A SAFE LANDING AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO SWITCH THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT TANK. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN AN OPEN PASTURE WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TERRACE, COLLAPSING THE LANDING GEAR. ACCORDING TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL THAT RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT "THE AIRPLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL." IN A TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW, THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THAT THE LEFT MAIN FUEL CELL WAS APPROXIMATELY 3/4 FULL. THE PILOT ADDED THAT THE 1959 VINTAGE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE FUEL GAUGE FOR BOTH FUEL CELLS. (.4) ON OCTOBER 18, 1998, AT 1000 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MOONEY M20A AIRPLANE, N6534B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HER TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SUNDANCE AIRPARK, NEAR YUKON, OKLAHOMA, APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. IN THE ENCLOSED NTSB FORM 6120.1/2, THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE CHECKED THE FUEL TANKS PRIOR TO TAKEOFF AND NOTED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS 3/4 FULL AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS "VERY LOW." DURING TAKEOFF; HOWEVER, THE PILOT POSITIONED (-23) PILOT FUELED LEFT TANK TO 1/2 FULL. THEN DUE TO HABIT, STARTED THE ENGINE ON THE RIGHT TANK, COMPLETED THE RUNUP AND DEPARTED ON THE RIGHT TANK.. PILOT FAILED TO SWITCH TO THE LEFT TANK AND EXHAUSTED THE FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A PASTURE. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A TERRACE WHICH COLLAPSED THE GEAR. ## 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 FTW99LA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA010), Oct 18, 1998: Mooney M20A (N6534B), Oklahoma City, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as result of the pilot's improper placement of the fuel tank selector switch. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the pilot to execute the… 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.