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20041209031349A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Mooney M20F · Fabens, TX · December 9, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 9, 2004 · 15:14 local
Place
Fabens, TX
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3208F
NTSB investigation
NTSBDFW05LA033
Reported as
Mooney M20F
Reported engine
Continental IO360*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
N3208FRegistration cancelled Sep 9, 2016 · Mooney M20FS/N 670362 · Built 1967Airframe modelMooney M20FEngine 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) On December 9, 2004, at 1514 CST, a Mooney 20-F, N3208F, registered to and operated byprivacy data omitted attempted an emergency landing on west bound interstate 10 (I-10) at mile marker 54 in Fabens Texas while on a private flight. The pilot reported that he felt a small vibration followed by the engine RPM accelerating to 3000 RPM, then back to normal, and again accelerating to 3300 RPM. The pilot then heard a loud bang, the aircraft shook and then the engine lost all power. During the emergency landing, the aircraft struck the rear upper portion of a semi-truck traveling west on I-10. Having observed the aircraft in his rear view mirror, the truck driver stated that the aircraft hit and then flipped inverted on top of his rig. The aircraft then slid off onto the interstate. The aircraft came to rest inverted and between lanes of I-10 west bound traffic. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated at austin, Texas on December 9, 2004, at approximately 1115 CST.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON DECEMBER 9, 2004, AT 1514 CST, A MOONEY 20-F, N3208F, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY^PRIVACY DATA ^ ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON WEST BOUND INTERSTATE 10 (I-10) AT MILE MARKER 54 IN FABENS TEXAS WHILE ON A PRIVATE FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FELT A SMALL VIBRATION FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE RPM ACCELERATING TO 3000 RPM, THEN BACK TO NORMAL, AND AGAIN ACCELERATING TO 3300 RPM. THE PILOT THEN HEARD A LOUD BANG, THE AIRCRAFT SHOOK AND THEN THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE REAR UPPER PORTION OF A SEMI-TRUCK TRAVELING WEST ON I-10. HAVING OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN HIS REAR VIEW MIRROR, THE TRUCK DRIVER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HIT AND THEN FLIPPED INVERTED ON TOP OF HIS RIG. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SLID OFF ONTO THE INTERSTATE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED AND BETWEEN LANES OF I-10 WEST BOUND TRAFFIC. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT AUSTIN, TEXAS ON DECEMBER 9, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 CST.

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 DFW05LA033Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFabens, TXThe loss of engine power as a result of the failure of a connecting rod due to oil starvation/exhaustion. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Dec 9, 2004 · Substantial damage