# Accident 20060518016979A: Mooney M20G, West Palm Beach, FL, May 18, 2006 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 18, 2006, 08:50 local time - Place: West Palm Beach, FL - Airport: Palm Beach County Park Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.5931° N, 80.0850° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.5931&lon=-80.0850&mi=10 - Aircraft: N12RH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N12RH-2009-06-24) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mooney M-20G (registry code 5870216, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m-20g) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20G - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 500 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA06LA109](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA06LA109) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060518016979A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON MAY 16 2006 A MOONEY MODEL M20G, REGISTRATION N12RH, DEPARTED PALM BEACH LANTANA AIRPARK (KLNA) AT APPROXIMATELY 08:50 LOCAL TIME WITH TWO SOULS ON BOARD AND A PET DOG. THE FLIGHT DESTINATION WAS EXUMA BAHAMAS. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT APPROXIMATELY 100 ABOVE THE GROUND DURING TAKE OFF FROM RUNWAY 33. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON-AIRPORT BY TURNING TO THE WEST. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A STALL/SPIN SITUATION AND CRASHED ON AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE AIRCRAFT FIRST CONTACTED THE GROUND NEAR THE CROSS OF RUNWAYS 21 AND 15 ABOUT 33 FEET WEST OF THE 15/33 TAXIWAY. THE LEFT WING AND NOSE CONTACTED THE GROUND FIRST ON A HEADING OF 250 DEGREES. THERE WAS A GAP IN THE GROUND SCARS OF APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET. EVIDENCE OF THE EMPENNAGE DRAGGING ON THE GROUND INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT SPUN TO THE RIGHT DURING THE BOUNCE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT A HEADING OF 070 DEGREES. THE FLAPS WERE APPROXIMATELY MID TRAVEL AND THE FLAP INDICATOR CORRESPONDED WITH FLAP POSITION. ON ARRIVAL TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE, THE FUEL VALVE SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. A WITNESS THAT ASSISTED IN THE EGRESS OF THE PILOT STATED HE HAD FOUND THE SELECTOR POSITIONED TO THE LEFT TANK AND THAT HE REPOSITIONED IT TO THE OFF POSITION. HE ALSO STATED A SMALL FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS EXTINGUISHED. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT AND THE OTHER WAS RELATIVELY UNDAMAGED INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER AT IMPACT. THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING FUEL TANK CAPS WERE REMOVED TO CHECK FOR FUEL LEVEL. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE FULL. IT WAS ALSO OBSERVED THAT THE LEFT FUEL CAP O-RING WAS SEVERELY DRY ROTTED AND HAD SEVERAL CRACKS. IT WAS ALSO OBSERVED THAT THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AND AFT SEATS WERE FULL OF BAGGAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A SITE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. FUEL WAS OBTAINED FROM THE RIGHT WING SUMP DRAIN. THE SAMPLE WAS FOUND TO BE SATISFACTORY. FUEL WAS OBTAINED FROM THE LEFT WING SUMP DRAIN. THE LEFT WING SUMP DRAIN DID NOT FLOW VERY WELL AND ONLY A FEW OUNCES OF FUEL COULD BE DRAINED. THE SAMPLE TAKEN FROM THE LEFT WING CONTAINED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER. ACCESS WAS GAINED TO THE ENGINE CARBURETOR. THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED. IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A FUEL SAMPLE FROM THE LEFT WING A BUCKET WAS PLACED UNDER THE MAIN FUEL LINE LEADING TO THE ENGINE CARBURETOR. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS POSITIONED TO THE LEFT WING, AND THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY WAS USED TO POWER THE AIRCRAFT FUEL BOOST PUMP. APPROXIMATELY ONE GALLON OF FUEL WAS OBTAINED. THE FUEL SAMPLE WAS CLOUDY AND CONTAINED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE CARBURETOR FUEL BOWL WAS CONTAMINATED WITH APPROXIMATELY 50% WATER. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD OBTAINED FUEL FROM THE LOCAL FBO. FUEL RECEIPTS WERE OBTAINED FROM THE FBO FOR N12RH AND A LIST OF AIRCRAFT THAT HAD RECEIVED FUEL FROM THE SAME TRUCK. NO OTHER AIRCRAFT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH WATER CONTAMINATION. THE SOURCE OF THE FUEL WAS DETERMINED TO BE NOT CONTAMINATED. FBO PERSONNEL STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD ARRIVED AT KLNA ON 9 MAY. DURING THIS TIME, THERE HAD BEEN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAINFALL. THE POOR CONDITION OF THE LEFT WING FUEL CAP WHILE PARKED ON THE RAMP DURING THE PREVIOUS DAY'S RAINSTORMS COULD BE THE SOURCE OF THE WATER CONTAMINATION. IT WAS DETERMINED THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER FOUND IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND ENGINE CARBURETOR WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO CEASE OPERATING. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA06LA109](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA06LA109), May 18, 2006: Mooney M20G (N12RH), Lantana, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power during initial climb due to water contamination in the fuel. Contributing factors were the deteriorated fuel cap… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.