20050704018929A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mooney M20K · Kennett, MO · July 4, 2005

Date: July 4, 2005 · 16:00 local
Place: Kennett, MO
Airport: Kennett Memorial Airport
Phase of flight: Forced Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5791U
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI05CA170
Reported as: Mooney M20K
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 400 total21 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N5791URegistration cancelled Dec 7, 2012 · Mooney M20KS/N 25-0855 · Built 1984 Airframe modelMooney M20K

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) Accident occurred after airplane lost power during final approach. Airplane was found to have 8.5 gallons of fuel in the left tank and less than 6 ounces of fuel in the right tank. Fuel selector was on the left tank. The pilot stated that he switched fuel tanks from the right tank to the left tank on short final approach after the power loss and said he did not turn either the low or high fuel boost pumps on. The airplane failed to regain power. The airplane struck an evergreen tree and fence before coming to rest in a cotton field on the airport property.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER AIRPLANE LOST POWER DURING FINAL APPROACH. AIRPLANE WAS FOUND TO HAVE 8.5 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK AND LESS THAN 6 OUNCES OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE LEFT TANK. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO THE LEFT TANK ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH AFTER THE POWER LOSS AND SAID HE DID NOT TURN EITHER THE LOW OR HIGH FUEL BOOST PUMPS ON. THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO REGAIN POWER. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK AN EVERGREEN TREE AND FENCE BEFORE COMING TO REST IN A COTTON FIELD ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY.

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 CHI05CA170Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportKennett, MOThe fuel starvation, inadequate preflight planning and preparation, and inadequate in-flight planning/decision by the pilot.Jul 4, 2005 · Substantial damage