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20080911854729A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Mooney M20K · Weaverville, CA · September 11, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 11, 2008 · 21:30 local
Place
Weaverville, CA
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1157K
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA08CA202
Reported as
Mooney M20K
Reported engine
Continental TSIO360*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N1157KRegistered now · Mooney M20KS/N 25-0644Airframe modelMooney M20KEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 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.

At an undetermined point in time, the bracket that supported the fuel flow transducer for the airplane’s fuel monitoring system failed. This allowed the transducer to vibrate, and ultimately lead to the loosening of the b-nut on the fuel line leading to the transducer. Because the b-nut became almost completely disconnected from the transducer, approximately 40 gallons of fuel was lost overboard during the flight. Because the leak was upstream of the transducer, the fuel management system did not detect or display the loss of fuel, and the engine ultimately lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot executed a forced landing at a non-controlled airport, but intentionally exited the side of the runway surface when it appeared that the airplane could not stop prior to departing the end of the runway and encountering a steep drop-off. After the airplane exited the side of the runway, it entered rough terrain and experienced a collapse of the left main landing gear. The collapse of the gear resulted in substantial damage to both the left wing and the aft fuselage.

As the FAA filed it

AT AN UNDETERMINED POINT IN TIME, THE BRACKET THAT SUPPORTED THE FUEL FLOW TRANSDUCER FOR THE AIRPLANE’S FUEL MONITORING SYSTEM FAILED. THIS ALLOWED THE TRANSDUCER TO VIBRATE, AND ULTIMATELY LEAD TO THE LOOSENING OF THE B-NUT ON THE FUEL LINE LEADING TO THE TRANSDUCER. BECAUSE THE B-NUT BECAME ALMOST COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE TRANSDUCER, APPROXIMATELY 40 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS LOST OVERBOARD DURING THE FLIGHT. BECAUSE THE LEAK WAS UPSTREAM OF THE TRANSDUCER, THE FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DID NOT DETECT OR DISPLAY THE LOSS OF FUEL, AND THE ENGINE ULTIMATELY LOST POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING AT A NON-CONTROLLED AIRPORT, BUT INTENTIONALLY EXITED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE WHEN IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE COULD NOT STOP PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND ENCOUNTERING A STEEP DROP-OFF. AFTER THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, IT ENTERED ROUGH TERRAIN AND EXPERIENCED A COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE COLLAPSE OF THE GEAR RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH THE LEFT WING AND THE AFT 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 SEA08CA202Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportTrinity Center, CAThe complete loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of a leak in the fuel system. Contributing to the accident was the rough terrain the airplane encountered during the forced landing.Sep 12, 2008 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N1157K · 2

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

Incident 20041120029349ILevel Off Touchdown · Baker, OR(-23) Pilot was operating on an instrument flight plan in visual weather conditions. Did not allow for the high wind aloft and ended up very high at the final approach fix. He did a visual let down to the runway but his speed was high all the way to the…Nov 20, 2004 · Minor damageIncident 19940921046379ILevel Off Touchdown · Bremerton, WASteep angle to runway on landing. Prop struck runway then step. Appears gear not down. Went around. Put gear down.Sep 21, 1994 · Minor damage