# Accident 19981119031419A: Mooney M20F, Upland, CA, November 19, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 19, 1998, 14:50 local time - Place: Upland, CA - Airport: Cable Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.1008° N, 117.6598° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1008&lon=-117.6598&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3500X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3500X-2013-04-10) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20F (registry code 5870214, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20f) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20F - Reported engine: LYC IO360A1A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,940 total, 1,351 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA035) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981119031419A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT CRASHED ON LANDING (.19) ON NOVEMBER 19, 1998, AT 1450 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M20F, N3500X, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AFTER TAKEOFF AT THE CABLE AIRPORT, UPLAND, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND MADE A FORCED LANDING DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE RUNWAYS BEFORE COMING TO REST ON A TAXIWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. A PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. (.4) DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE PILOT LEVELED THE AIRPLANE AND THE ENGINE RAN SMOOTHLY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE ON A DOWNWIND LEG. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, IT HAD RAINED DURING THE TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND THE AIRPLANE HAD SAT OUTSIDE IN TRANSIENT PARKING. ONE WITNESS STATED HE HAD WITNESSED AN INSPECTION OF THE O-RING SEALS ON THE FUEL CAPS AND THEY SHOWED EVIDENCE OF DETERIORATION. WITNESSES FURTHER REPORTED THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED. DURING THE ENGINE RUN-UP PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, RECOVERY PERSONNE L REMOVED 1.5 CUPS OF WATER FROM THE LEFT WING AND 2 TABLESPOONS OF WATER FROM THE RIGHT WING. THEY FURTHER STATED THAT EACH WING HAD 17 GALLONS OF FUEL. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED DETERIORATED O-RING SEALS ON THE FUEL CAPS, AND RUSTED FILLER PORTS ON THE WINGS. A LIQUID SUBSTANCE WAS REMOVED FROM THE FUEL INJECTION SERVO AND THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP FUEL LINE. THE LIQUID SUBSTANCE TESTED POSITIVELY FOR WATER WITH WATER FINDING PASTE. THE FUEL FLOW DIVIDER WAS DISASSEMBLED AND SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE; HOWEVER, IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WAS WATER ON THE FUEL SIDE OF THE DIAPHRAGM. NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE ENGINE. (-23) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, AFTER A NORMAL TAKE-OFF, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER AT ABOUT 300 FEET AL. THE PILOT TRIED TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT, BUT WAS TOO LOW. THE ENGINE QUIT, THEN RESTARTED AGAIN WHEN HE TURNED DOWNWIND. WHILE ON DOWNWIND, THE ENGINE QUIT COMPLETELY, AND THE PILOT MADE AN APPROACH BETWEEN TWO HANGARS AND CROSSED THE ACTIVE RUNWAY DIAGONALLY, CROSSED ANOTHER TAXIWAY AND CAME TO REST NEAR A ROW OF OPEN HANGARS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE PAVEMENT NOSE LOW, WITH NO PROP ROTATION. THE ENGINE MOUNTS FAILED ON IMPACT. THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE PAVEMENT AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID SIDEWAYS ABOUT 100 FEET AND CAME TO REST BETWEEN SOME PARKED AIRCRAFT AND THE HANGAR ROW. THE RIGHT WING HAD SEVERE IMPACT DAMAGE TO IT'S OUTER ONE THIRD. THE LEFT WING HAD LESSER DAMAGE TO THE OUTER ONE THIRD. THE AFT SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE WAS BADLY WRINKLED. THE COCKPIT WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED AND DEFORMED. THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK HAD NO VISIBLE FUEL, THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS ALMOST FULL, ABOUT TWO INCHES FROM THE FILLER NECK. THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE AND PROP CONTROLS WERE FULL FORWARD. THE MAGNETOS WERE OFF AND THE KEYS REMOVED. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POINTING AFT. THE MANUAL GEAR LEVERL WAS IN THE FORWARD, STOWED POSITION WITH THE LOCK COVERING THE TOP OF THE LEVER. ## 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 LAX99LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA035), Nov 19, 1998: Mooney M20F (N3500X), Upland, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: Loss of engine power due to water contaminated fuel and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane. A factor was the failure of the owner/pilot to properly maintain the airplane. 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.