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20110406007559A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Mooney M20K · New Orleans, LA · April 6, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 6, 2011 · 20:30 local
Place
New Orleans, LA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N305M
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11LA311
Reported as
Mooney M20K
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,100 total700 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N305MRegistration cancelled Sep 21, 2011 · Mooney M20KS/N 25-1203 · Built 1989Airframe 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.

On April 6, 2011, airman found aircraft battery dead on his aircraft, a Mooney M20K. A local maintenance technician removed battery and placed on charge for about two hours, battery indicated 23.6 volts on charge. The technician then reinstalled battery in aircraft. Airman turned master switch on and all gauges function normally; however during engine start the battery was unable to start engine, so the airman requested the ground power unit (gpu) from the FBO to start the aircraft. After engine start and the gpu was disconnected the airman ran engine for about 30 minutes before take off which no abnormalities were noted at that time. During climb (about 10 minutes into flight) and approximately 4000 feet AGL airman stated the over voltage light illuminated steady with alternator gauge output normal. The airman contacted ATC and requested a return to the departure airport (New Orleans lakefront airport) and was making a left turn when all panel lights started to flicker. During decent airman pulled engine power back to a normal descent setting. Approximately 1000 feet AGL, airman stated the aircraft lost engine power and aircraft was unable to make air field causing the airman to configure the aircraft for emergency water landing about ¼ mile from runway in lake pontchartrain. Airman stated he did not switch fuel tanks during emergency. During investigation the aircraft landing gear selector was found in the down and locked position and all three landing gear was down and locked. The throttle was found in idle position with the propeller control and mixture control in the forward position. This aircraft was under water for three weeks and the insurance company plans to remove and send the data plates to AFS-760 before destroying the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 6, 2011, AIRMAN FOUND AIRCRAFT BATTERY DEAD ON HIS AIRCRAFT, A MOONEY M20K. A LOCAL MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN REMOVED BATTERY AND PLACED ON CHARGE FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS, BATTERY INDICATED 23.6 VOLTS ON CHARGE. THE TECHNICIAN THEN REINSTALLED BATTERY IN AIRCRAFT. AIRMAN TURNED MASTER SWITCH ON AND ALL GAUGES FUNCTION NORMALLY; HOWEVER DURING ENGINE START THE BATTERY WAS UNABLE TO START ENGINE, SO THE AIRMAN REQUESTED THE GROUND POWER UNIT (GPU) FROM THE FBO TO START THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER ENGINE START AND THE GPU WAS DISCONNECTED THE AIRMAN RAN ENGINE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE TAKE OFF WHICH NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED AT THAT TIME. DURING CLIMB (ABOUT 10 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT) AND APPROXIMATELY 4000 FEET AGL AIRMAN STATED THE OVER VOLTAGE LIGHT ILLUMINATED STEADY WITH ALTERNATOR GAUGE OUTPUT NORMAL. THE AIRMAN CONTACTED ATC AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT (NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT AIRPORT) AND WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN ALL PANEL LIGHTS STARTED TO FLICKER. DURING DECENT AIRMAN PULLED ENGINE POWER BACK TO A NORMAL DESCENT SETTING. APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET AGL, AIRMAN STATED THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER AND AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE AIR FIELD CAUSING THE AIRMAN TO CONFIGURE THE AIRCRAFT FOR EMERGENCY WATER LANDING ABOUT ¼ MILE FROM RUNWAY IN LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. AIRMAN STATED HE DID NOT SWITCH FUEL TANKS DURING EMERGENCY.DURING INVESTIGATION THE AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION AND ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. THE THROTTLE WAS FOUND IN IDLE POSITION WITH THE PROPELLER CONTROL AND MIXTURE CONTROL IN THE FORWARD POSITION. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER WATER FOR THREE WEEKS AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY PLANS TO REMOVE AND SEND THE DATA PLATES TO AFS-760 BEFORE DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT.

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 CEN11LA311Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNew Orleans, LAA loss of electrical and engine power for undetermined reasons.Apr 7, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N305M · 1

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

Incident 20021026032519ILevel Off Touchdown · Lancaster, PA(-23) Subject aircraft with Mr. Price at the controls made a normal approach to runway 31 for landing. Both pilots noticed landing gear was still up when the aircraft propeller and fuselage touched down on runway. Gear handle was not placed in the down…Oct 26, 2002 · Minor damage