20070228005099A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mooney M20F · Avondalen, PA · February 28, 2007

Date: February 28, 2007 · 13:10 local
Place: Avondalen, PA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3278F
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC07CA080
Reported as: Mooney M20F
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360A1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,065 total292 in this make and model61 in the last 90 days

N3278FRegistration cancelled May 9, 2013 · Mooney M20FS/N 670371 · Built 1967 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) Pilot cleaned snow and ice from the aircraft and performed the preflight inspection. He took off on rwy 32 (kilg) and departed to the west. The VFR flight proceeded to the vicinity of chester county airport, new garden airport and then turned back toward new castle airport (ilg). The engine sputtered, the pilot switched tanks and turned on the fuel pump. The engine caught briefly, sputtered again and then quit. He called ilg and told them that he was turning toward new garden airport. He performed a gear up, forced landing in a field approximately 1 1/2 miles ssw of new garden airport. The pilot was uninjured and the aircraft has substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT CLEANED SNOW AND ICE FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. HE TOOK OFF ON RWY 32 (KILG) AND DEPARTED TO THE WEST. THE VFR FLIGHT PROCEEDED TO THE VICINITY OF CHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT, NEW GARDEN AIRPORT AND THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD NEW CASTLE AIRPORT (ILG). THE ENGINE SPUTTERED, THE PILOT SWITCHED TANKS AND TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP. THE ENGINE CAUGHT BRIEFLY, SPUTTERED AGAIN AND THEN QUIT. HE CALLED ILG AND TOLD THEM THAT HE WAS TURNING TOWARD NEW GARDEN AIRPORT. HE PERFORMED A GEAR UP, FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 MILES SSW OF NEW GARDEN AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT HAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL AND FUSELAGE.

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 NYC07CA080Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportLandenberg, PAThe pilot's improper preflight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and subsequent forced landing to a field.Feb 28, 2007 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3278F · 2

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

Incident 19991012029759ILevel Off Touchdown · Toughenamon, PA(-23) See ptrs: EA17200000129 and EA17200000174 for narrative.Oct 12, 1999 · Minor damage Incident 19851024060449ILevel Off Touchdown · Dallas, TXAfter practice approach pilot circled to land and forgot to extend gear. Did not hear gear warning due to headset.Oct 24, 1985 · Minor damage