20030203004949A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mooney M20J · New Orleans, LA · February 3, 2003

Date: February 3, 2003 · 17:55 local
Place: New Orleans, LA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N658FT
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03LA092
Reported as: Mooney M20J
Reported engine: Continental IO360*
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0

N658FTRegistration cancelled Mar 3, 2006 · Mooney M20JS/N 24-3270 · Built 1992 Airframe modelMooney M20J Engine modelLycoming I0360 SER A&CReciprocating

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) Pilot of Mooney M-20-J declared an emergency with 3 passengers on board. This was a part 91 flight around the city of New Orleans when the engine quit. The pilot landed the aircraft in a narrow strip in-between the levee and a wooded area, the aircraft hit several trees with the left wing, which sustained heavy damage. The aircraft then spun to the left and made contact with the cement levee wall which impacted so hard that the three of the four engine mounts were torn from the structure. The aircraft then slid down the embankment to a stop. No injuries to any passengers or to the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT OF MOONEY M-20-J DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH 3 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THIS WAS A PART 91 FLIGHT AROUND THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A NARROW STRIP IN-BETWEEN THE LEVEE AND A WOODED AREA, THE AIRCRAFT HIT SEVERAL TREES WITH THE LEFT WING, WHICH SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SPUN TO THE LEFT AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE CEMENT LEVEE WALL WHICH IMPACTED SO HARD THAT THE THREE OF THE FOUR ENGINE MOUNTS WERE TORN FROM THE STRUCTURE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SLID DOWN THE EMBANKMENT TO A STOP. NO INJURIES TO ANY PASSENGERS OR TO THE PILOT.

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 FTW03LA092Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNew Orleans, LAThe loss of engine power as a result of the separation of the magneto assembly due to inadequate maintenance by unknown personnel. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Feb 3, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N658FT · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19970520015649ILevel Off Touchdown · Melbourne, FLNarrative: the flight was conducted under a part 141 curriculum for a commercial rating. It was the pilot's first solo flight in this aircraft. The aircraft departed mlb for a practice area south of the airport. The pilot attempted to contact the flight…May 20, 1997 · Minor damage