20110730020029A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mooney M20C · Ada, OK · July 30, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: July 30, 2011 · 10:14 local
Place: Ada, OK
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5501Q
Reported as: Mooney M20C
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 100 total25 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N5501QRegistration cancelled Oct 13, 2016 · Mooney M20CS/N 2939 · 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.

The aircraft was enroute at approximately 2000 feet when the engine quit. The pilot stated he tried to switch fuel tanks in an attempt to get the engine running again. He said he was unable to switch tanks due to the fuel valve not moving. Since he was at a low altitude, he did not have time to diagnose the problem and he executed an emergency landing. The aircraft initially impacted the top of a burm next to a dirt road where it came to rest a short distance later facing the opposite direction. On inspection, the left tank was empty and the right tank was approximately half full. The fuel selector valve was still on the left tank. The fuel selector valve seemed to move without any binding during inspection.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT STATED HE TRIED TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE ENGINE RUNNING AGAIN. HE SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO SWITCH TANKS DUE TO THE FUEL VALVE NOT MOVING. SINCE HE WAS AT A LOW ALTITUDE, HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND HE EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY IMPACTED THE TOP OF A BURM NEXT TO A DIRT ROAD WHERE IT CAME TO REST A SHORT DISTANCE LATER FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. ON INSPECTION, THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS APPROXIMATELY HALF FULL. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS STILL ON THE LEFT TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE SEEMED TO MOVE WITHOUT ANY BINDING DURING INSPECTION.