20100921044529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mooney M20C · Visalia, CA · September 21, 2010

Date: September 21, 2010 · 09:40 local
Place: Visalia, CA
Airport: Visalia
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6090Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR10LA465
Reported as: Mooney M20C
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N6090QRegistration cancelled Jun 18, 2011 · Mooney M20CS/N 3260 · Built 1965 Airframe modelMooney M20C Engine modelLycoming O&VO-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.

0940, 21 September, 2010 Visalia, CA. During takeoff just after rotation, the pilot heard a 'bang' and immediately lost power. The engine RPM dropped to 1500. The pilot tried to return to the runway but was unable to execute a normal landing due to insufficient speed and altitude. The right wing contacted the runway surface then the aircraft made a hard landing. The nose wheel broke off and the left main gear collapsed. The aircraft slid off of runway 12 and struck a runway sign. The pilot was not injured. Examinaion of the engine showed that the lower spark plug on number 3 cyliner had exited the cylinder and was hanging by the plug wire. The pilot is an a & p mechanic with inspection authorization who does his own maintenance. The maintenance log shows that the spark plugs had been cleaned and gapped at tach 443 hours. (The tach now shows 457.1 hours.) The pilot/ mechanic stated that he always used a torque wrench set at the correct value for spark plug installation.

As the FAA filed it

0940, 21 SEPTEMBER, 2010 VISALIA, CA. DURING TAKEOFF JUST AFTER ROTATION, THE PILOT HEARD A 'BANG' AND IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER. THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED TO 1500. THE PILOT TRIED TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY BUT WAS UNABLE TO EXECUTE A NORMAL LANDING DUE TO INSUFFICIENT SPEED AND ALTITUDE. THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE THEN THE AIRCRAFT MADE A HARD LANDING. THE NOSE WHEEL BROKE OFF AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF OF RUNWAY 12 AND STRUCK A RUNWAY SIGN. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.EXAMINAION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED THAT THE LOWER SPARK PLUG ON NUMBER 3 CYLINER HAD EXITED THE CYLINDER AND WAS HANGING BY THE PLUG WIRE. THE PILOT IS AN A & P MECHANIC WITH INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION WHO DOES HIS OWN MAINTENANCE. THE MAINTENANCE LOG SHOWS THAT THE SPARK PLUGS HAD BEEN CLEANED AND GAPPED AT TACH 443 HOURS. (THE TACH NOW SHOWS 457.1 HOURS.) THE PILOT/ MECHANIC STATED THAT HE ALWAYS USED A TORQUE WRENCH SET AT THE CORRECT VALUE FOR SPARK PLUG INSTALLATION.

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 WPR10LA465Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportVisalia, CAA partial loss of engine power during takeoff, which resulted from the failure of the spark plug retention mechanism.Sep 21, 2010 · Substantial damage