# Accident 20140518007619A: Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K, Georgetown, DE, May 18, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 18, 2014, 10:00 local time
- Place: Georgetown, DE
- Airport: Sussex County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.6878° N, 75.3583° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6878&lon=-75.3583&mi=10
- Aircraft: N200DP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N200DP) (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 AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520-NB
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 5,000 total, 450 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA14LA242](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14LA242) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140518007619A

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 18, 2014, AT 10:00 A.M. LOCAL TIME,  A 1979 MOONEY M20K, N200DP, STRUCK CABLE & PHONE WIRES DURING APPROACH TO LANDING AT SUSSEX COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (GED).  THE PILOT STATED, "HE TURNED BASE AND BEGAN LANDING CHECKS."  HE FURTHER STATED HE, "... TURNED BASE AND WAS OVERSHOOTING (THE RUNWAY), (HE) INCREASED BANK AND THEN ROLLED WINGS LEVEL ON FINAL."  AS HE DESCENDED HE MOVED THE THROTTLE IN BUT THERE WAS NO RPM INCREASE.  AFTER AN APPARENT ENGINE STOPPAGE WHILE MANEUVERING TO THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE.  THE PILOT OF N200DP, ^JOSEPH R. GRUND^, ATP SMEL CERTIFICATE NO.^ 3529768^, WAS ALONE IN THE AIRCRAFT.  HE STATED HE PERFORMED ENGINE FAILURE CHECKS AND SET UP A GLIDE TO LAND BEYOND THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE JUST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY BUT DID NOT SEE THE CABLES ATTACHED TO THE TOPS OF TELEPHONE POLES APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE AT A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 25 FT.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS ARRESTED BY THE CABLE WIRES AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE.  THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO WINGS, FUSELAGE, LANDING GEAR, AND PROPELLER.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED BY FORKLIFT TO AIRPORT PROPERTY WHERE AT LEAST SEVEN GALLONS OF FUEL WERE DRAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS.  WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE COMMUNICATION  CABLES, SIX TELEPHONE POLES TOPPLED, AND WIRES FROM THOSE POLES STRUCK A CAR THAT WAS TRAVELING ON THE AIRPORT PERIMETER ROAD.  THE CAR WAS DAMAGED, BUT NO ONE WAS INJURED.

## 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 ERA14LA242](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14LA242), May 18, 2014: Mooney M20K (N200DP), Georgetown, DE, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper preflight planning and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Also causal to the accident was the pilot’s failure to see…

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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