20110910021159A

SEPT. 10, 2011, @ 0937 EST, A MOONEY M20C, REGISTRATION N9266M, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, LOST ENGINE POWER ON CLIMB AFTER TAKE OFF FROM THE KOKOMO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT KOKK AND CRASHED APPROX. 1400' FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 14. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE SECOND PILOT WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. N9266M WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PIC AND SECOND PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE PILOTS STATED THAT THE INTENTION OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR BRANDON BUSH SEL CFI, TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE MOONEY M20C SO THAT HE COULD PROVIDE SEL CFI TRAINING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT A LATER DATE. AT 0920 EST, N9266M'S ENGINE WAS STARTED AT KOKK HANGAR 55. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED WITH THE LEFT FUEL TANK SELECTED. OAT WAS 59º F, THE DEW POINT WAS 59º F. THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS ABOVE 70%. THE PIC TAXIED FROM HANGAR 55 AND ARRIVED AT THE RUNWAY AT 0925 EST. FROM 0925-0928 N9266M SAT WITH THE ENGINE IDLING WHILE THE PIC DISCUSSED OPERATIONAL ITEMS WITH THE SECOND PILOT. FROM 0928 TO 0930 EST, THE PIC CONDUCTED AN ENGINE RUN-UP. THE PIC REPORTED THE CARB HEAT AND MAGNETO CHECKS WERE GOOD. FROM 0930-0935 EST THE AIRCRAFT SAT WITH THE ENGINE IDLE, CARB HEAT OFF. DURING THE IDLE, ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE FOR FUEL EVAPORATION ICING TO FORM IN THE CARBURETOR THROTTLE BODY. WITH BRANDON BUSH AT THE CONTROLS, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 14 AT 0935 EST, FULL THROTTLE, WITH THE LEFT FUEL TANK SELECTED. AS N9266M CLIMBED THROUGH 300' AGL, THE PILOT FLYING REPORTED THAT IT FELT LIKE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOSING POWER. AT THIS TIME, THE PIC TOOK CONTROL OF THE ENGINE AND REPORTED THAT IT FELT LIKE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, BUT WAS LOSING POWER. THE PIC REPORTED HE SWITCHED THE FUEL FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, TURNED ON THE CARBURETOR HEAT, CYCLED THE THROTTLE AND FUEL MIXTURE LEVERS AS THE AIRCRAFT ASCENDED FROM 400' TO 500' AGL. THE PIC REPORTED THE ENGINE MADE A FLUCTUATING NOISE AND WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER. THE PILOT FLYING REPORTED HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN NORTH BACK TO KOKK. AT THIS POINT, THE AIRCRAFT RAPIDLY DESCENDED AND LOST AIRSPEED FROM APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH TO 65 MPH. THE PIC REPORTED HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE YOKE, REALIZED HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE AIRFIELD, AND WHEN HE SAW THE CORNFIELD RAPIDLY RISING, LEVELED THE WINGS, HEARD THE STALL WARNING, AND IMPACTED THE CORN FIELD. N9266M HAD APPROX. 45' OF FORWARD TRAVEL AFTER IMPACTING THE CORNSTALKS AND CAME TO REST ON A HEADING OF 328º. THE TIME FROM TURNING ON CARBURETOR HEAT, CYCLING THE THROTTLE AND ENGINE MIXTURE TO TIME OF IMPACT WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 SECONDS. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FIREWALL. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND RH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE CRUSHED INTO THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE LH MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS TORN OFF AND LYING JUST AFT OF THE LEFT FLAP. THE PROP AND CRANKSHAFT WERE BENT BACK APPROX. 10º. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT BACK WITH THE NUMBER ONE BLADE SHOWING SIGNS OF IMPACT WITH THE EARTH. THE KOKK AIRPORT MGR REPORTED HE TURNED N9266M' FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH, THE MAIN POWER SWITCH AND ELT SWITCH TO OFF WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THESE SWITCHES WERE VERIFIED AT THE REPORTED POSITION. THE ENGINE OIL WAS VERIFIED AT 5.9 QUARTS, WITH NO VISIBLE OIL LEAKS EVIDENT ON THE ENGINE. THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS 1" BELOW THE FULL LINE AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS FULL. ON 09/15/2011 AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AND ASSOCIATED FUEL/AIR/ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WAS PERFORMED. THERE WERE NO AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES ON THE AIRCRAFT BASED ON THE AIRCRAFT/ENGINE INSPECTION. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS FOUND NO DISCREPANCIES THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ENGINE LOSS OF POWER.