20030112000799A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mooney M20F · Tacoma, WA · January 12, 2003

Date: January 12, 2003 · 15:47 local
Place: Tacoma, WA
Airport: Tacoma Naarrows Airport
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6442Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA03FA025
Reported as: Mooney M20F

N6442QRegistered now · Mooney M20FS/N 670521 Airframe modelMooney M20F Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) While cruising at approx. 1500 ft. altitude the engine started running rough and quit. Inspection of the aircraft and engine on 1-13-03 revealed the engine could not be rotated and the left magneto attach nuts were missing. The magneto was loose on the accessory case. Engine teardown on 1-23-03 revealed a broken crankshaft at #4 rod journal. The crankshaft has been sent to the NTSB laboratory to determine the cause of failure.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE CRUISING AT APPROX. 1500 FT. ALTITUDE THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND QUIT. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE ON 1-13-03 REVEALED THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE ROTATED AND THE LEFT MAGNETO ATTACH NUTS WERE MISSING. THE MAGNETO WAS LOOSE ON THE ACCESSORY CASE. ENGINE TEARDOWN ON 1-23-03 REVEALED A BROKEN CRANKSHAFT AT #4 ROD JOURNAL. THE CRANKSHAFT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE NTSB LABORATORY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA03FA025Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportTacoma, WAA loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fatigue failure of the crankshaft as a result of an inadequate quality of material during the manufacturing process. Trees were a factor.Jan 12, 2003 · Substantial damage