# Accident 19990820013209A: Mooney M20E, Lakeport, CA, August 20, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 20, 1999, 15:10 local time - Place: Lakeport, CA - Airport: Lampson Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.0395° N, 122.9294° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0395&lon=-122.9294&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6022Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6022Q-1999-11-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M20E (registry code 5870212, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20e) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20E - Reported engine: LYC IO360A1A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 10,035 total, 25 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA276](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA276) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990820013209A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE ARPT FOR UNKNOWN REASONS SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF WHEN THE ACFT CRASHED IN AN ORCHID FIELD, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4) ON AUGUST 20, 1999, AT 1510 HOURS PDT, A MOONEY M20E, N6022Q, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A POST-MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT AT LAMPSON AIRPORT, LAKEPORT, LAKE AERO STYLING & REPAIR UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, WAS ON DEPARTURE CLIMB OUT FROM LAMPSON AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE COMMERICAL LICENSED PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURIED. THE POST-MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED FOLLOWING REPAIR OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY A GEAR-UP LANDING. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE REPAIRS COSISTED OF REPLACEMENT OF (FUSELAGE) BELLY SKIN PANELS AND NOSE GEAR DOORS, REPLACEMENT OF THE PROPELLER AND REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION OF THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMED COINCIDENT WIHT THE REPAIRS. THE ENGINE REPAIR STATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS DISSEMBLED AND INSPECTED FOR A PROP STRIKE IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE TEXTRON LYCOMING SERVICE BULLETINS. NO DAMAGE FROM THE PROP STRIKE WAS FOUND. ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS RECEIVED AS AN ASSEMBLY WITH THE ENGINE MOUNT AND BAFFING NOT INSTALLED. A WITNESS REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL DURING TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 28 (3,600 FEET LONG, 60 FEET WIDE), AND HE OBSERVED THE LANDING GEAR RETRACT DURING INITIAL CLIMBOUT. HE THEN OBSERVED THE LANDING GEAR EXTEND AGAIN AND IT APPEARED TO THE WITNESS THAT THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE COURSE TO LAND ON THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND CRASHED IN A VINEYARD. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS RECOLLECTION THAT SOON AFTER TAKEOOF, WHILE PASSING THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER ("RUNNING ROUGH"). HE STATED A LEFT TURN, INTENDING TO LAND DOWNWIND ON RUNWAY 10 USING THE PARTIAL ENGINE POWER AVAILABLE. DURING THE TURN THE ENGINE STOPPED COMPLETELY AND BECAUSE OF LOW AIRSPEED AND ATITUDE, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RUNWAY. AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FAA SACRAMENTO FSDO EXAMINED THE ENGINE AND REPORTED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS WERE CLEAN AND LIGHT GRAY COLOR AND THE OIL AND OIL FILTER WERE CLEAN. THERE WAS CLEAN FUEL IN LINES AND FUEL TANKS. WHEN THE FUEL LINES WERE EXAMINED IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS A LOSSE B-NUT ON THE LINE FROM THE FUEL CONTROL SERVO WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE FUEL DIVIDER ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. WHEN THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS TURNED ON FULE SPRAYED FROM THE LOOSE NUT. THE INSPECTOR REPROTED THAT THE B-NUT REQUIRED ABOUT ONE TURN IN THE TIGHTENING DIRECTION TO REACH THE SNUG POSITION. NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. ## 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 LAX99LA276](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA276), Aug 20, 1999: Mooney M20E (N6022Q), Lakeport, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of engine shop maintenance personnel to tighten the fuel line fitting during assembly of the engine, and failure of the installing maintenance personnel to detect and tighten the loose… ## Other reports on N6022Q (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19990516019489I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990516019489I), May 16, 1999: Mooney M20E (N6022Q), Angwin, CA, Minor damage. (-5)Pilot did not hear a gear warning on approach to Angwin airpor. Resulted in gear up landing. Believed possible miss alignment of up/down microswitch. - [Incident 19861130071509I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19861130071509I), Nov 30, 1986: Mooney M20E (N6022Q), Lodi, CA. Baggage door opened on takeoff,aircraft returned. Tire blew on landing. 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.