# Accident 19990102000069A: Mooney M20K, Delano, CA, January 2, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 2, 1999, 16:40 local time - Place: Delano, CA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.7805° N, 119.2299° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.7805&lon=-119.2299&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1079G, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1079G-1999-03-29) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20K - Reported engine: CONT TSIO360LB - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,065 total, 979 in this make and model, 14 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA065) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990102000069A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON JANUARY 2, 1999, AT 1640 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY 20K, N1079G, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT DELANO, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER IT COLLIDED WITH TREES IN AN ORCHARD DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT IN FOG. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ALBERTA, CANADA, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AND WAS DESTINED FOR MEADOWS FIELD AIRPORT, BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE PILOT WAS NOT ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. (.4)THE PILOT WAS ON RADAR VECTORS FOR AN ILS APPROACH WHEN A COMPLETE ENGINE POWER LOSS OCCURRED DURING IMC CONDITIONS. THE PILOT DESCENDED THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND FOG AND COLLIDED WITH TREES IN AN ORCHARD. THE PILOT SAID HE NOTICED THE LOW VOLTAGE ENUNCIATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATE THEN THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE SEIZED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DISCLOSED OIL STARVATION DAMAGE AND FAILURES TO THE BEARINGS AND CONNECTING RODS. THE OIL PUMP DRIVE GEAR WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM ITS SHAFT AND LOOSE IN THE ACCESSORY GEAR CASE. A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE OIL PUMP DRIVE GEAR REVEALED ROUGH MACHINE MARKS LOCATED ALL AROUND THE FILLET RADIUS BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINAL SHAFT AND WEB PORTIONS OF THE GEAR. (-23) ON JANUARY 2, 1999 A MOONEY MO-20K EXPERIENCED TOTAL ENGINE POWER LOSS WHILE IN A DESCENT INTO BAKERSFIELD MEADOWS AIRPORT (BFL)ON AN IFR APPROACH. THE PILOT REPORTED A LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT ILLUMINATION FOLLOWED BY A SIMULTANOUS POWER LOSS AND PROPELLER OVERSPEED. THE PILOT SAW A READING OF ZERO OIL PRESSURE AND A SUBSEQUENT ENGINE SEIZURE. A GLIDE WAS SET UP AND A VECTOR TO DELANO AIRPORT WAS PROVIDED BY BAKERSFIELD APPROACH CONTROL. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE AREA WERE 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY WITH A 100 FOOT CEILING. THE PRIVATE PILOT LANDED IN A ORCHARD WITH THE WHEELS UP AND WALKED AWAY WITH A CUT ABOVE HIS NOSE. HIS PASSENGER WAS UNINJURED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS ACCIDENT TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITH HIS CELLULAR PHONE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. NO FIRE OCCURRED BUT BOTH WINGS WERE DAMAGED BY THE IMPACT WITH THE TREES AT THE FUEL TANK LOCATION. ## 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 LAX99LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA065), Jan 3, 1999: Mooney M20K (N1079G), Delano, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The fatigue failure and separation of the oil pump drive from the accessory gear section, which induced an oil starvation failure of the engine. The fatigue failure of the oil pump drive gear was… 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.