What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Thursday morning, 17 January 2001, at approximately 06:30 EST, father francis j. nemmers, holder of pilot certificate number 1532065 attempted to depart vinces's airport, Lake Placid, Florida in his Mooney M-20J, N201XL. The left wing fuel tank was full while the right tank had sufficient fuel to get him airborne. The fuel selector was set to the right fuel tank. During the takeoff roll on the turf surfaced runway 9, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway. The airplane became airborne about half way down the runway and climbed to approximately 30 feet altitude continuing to drift to the left over the edge of an orange grove, when the engine quit. The engine ailed because of fuel starvation due to fuel exhaustion of the right fuel tank. The pilot attempted to correct to the right to get back to the runway. He subsequently stalled the airplane and crash landed in an irrigation ditch in the orange grove. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident with the pilot sustaining serious injury. IMC meteorological conditions are suspected to have existed at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THURSDAY MORNING, 17 JANUARY 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 06:30 EST, FATHER FRANCIS J. NEMMERS, HOLDER OF PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 1532065 ATTEMPTED TO DEPART VINCES'S AIRPORT, LAKE PLACID, FLORIDA IN HIS MOONEY M-20J, N201XL. THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS FULL WHILE THE RIGHT TANK HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO GET HIM AIRBORNE. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL ON THE TURF SURFACED RUNWAY 9, THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET ALTITUDE CONTINUING TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT OVER THE EDGE OF AN ORANGE GROVE, WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE ENGINE AILED BECAUSE OF FUEL STARVATION DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION OF THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT TO THE RIGHT TO GET BACK TO THE RUNWAY. HE SUBSEQUENTLY STALLED THE AIRPLANE AND CRASH LANDED IN AN IRRIGATION DITCH IN THE ORANGE GROVE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE ACCIDENT WITH THE PILOT SUSTAINING SERIOUS INJURY. IMC METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ARE SUSPECTED TO HAVE EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.