# Accident 20080911854729A: Mooney M20K, Weaverville, CA, September 11, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 11, 2008, 21:30 local time
- Place: Weaverville, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.9828° N, 122.6936° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9828&lon=-122.6936&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1157K, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1157K) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20K (registry code 5870220, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20K
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO360*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA08CA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08CA202) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080911854729A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## 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 SEA08CA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08CA202), Sep 12, 2008: Mooney M20K (N1157K), Trinity Center, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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…

## Other reports on N1157K (2)

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

- [Incident 20041120029349I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041120029349I), Nov 20, 2004: Mooney M20K (N1157K), Baker, OR, Minor damage. (-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…
- [Incident 19940921046379I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940921046379I), Sep 21, 1994: Mooney M20K (N1157K), Bremerton, WA, Minor damage. Steep angle to runway on landing. Prop struck runway then step. Appears gear not down. Went around. Put gear down.

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.

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