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20190516004719I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Mooney M20F · Bowling Green, MO · May 16, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 16, 2019 · 11:00 local
Place
Bowling Green, MO
Airport
Bowling Green Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3555N
Reported as
Mooney M20F
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N3555NRegistered now · Mooney M20FS/N 680095 · Built 1967Airframe modelMooney M20FEngine modelLycoming I0360 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.

N3555N departed fulton county municipal airport in Missouri (kftt) on may 16, 2019 at 10:50 CDT VFR direct to ann arbor municipal airport, Michigan (karb). The pre take off run-up and ground checks were normal and all systems performed as expected. Pilot had full fuel of 64 gallons on board and with only himself and a small amount of luggage aboard.

The departure and climb-out was normal. After clearing the kftt airspace the pilot requested flight following from the mizzou approach, indicating VFR direct to (karb) at 7500 feet MSL. While climbing N3555N was handed off to Kansas city center. After reaching cruise altitude, the pilot started cruise configuration, by leaning the engine to 100 degrees rich of peak operation by using the mixture and onboard EDM-900 engine monitor. Upon reaching peak EGT, the pilot began to enrichen the mixture, however the engine continued to lean further and further. The pilot noted the mixture knob felt loose and there was no longer any resistance in the cable. The engine continued to lean out to 2.8 gpm as this was the last fuel flow the pilot observed. The pilot notified Kansas city center that N3555N was diverting to (KH19) Bowling Green, MO municipal airport, due to fuel flow issues. The pilot did not declare an emergency. While descending to (KH19) (which the pilot at this time did not have visual contact with) an attempt was made to resume fuel flow and re-establish power for a controlled landing. All attempts failed. About 1-2 miles from the airport, N3555N was 3500 ft MSL in line with runway 31. The pilot decided their wasn't enough altitude to safely make an unpowered circling pattern to runway 13. The pilot shut down the engine and avionics and removed the key to mitigate potential source of ignition in case of a fuel breach. High on approach to runway 31 the pilot attempted to shed altitude as quickly as possible by slipping the aircraft, lowering the gear and engaging the flaps. N3555N crossed runway 31 threshold at about 120 knots (runway 31 is 3200 foot long)the pilot felt he was going to overrun the runway into the field before touching down. Landing fast and attempting to get the wheels on the runway to engage the brake, the pilot bounced the aircraft a few times, which resulted in one propeller blade making contact with the concrete runway. N3555N came to rest approximately 375 feet in the grass past the end of runway 31.

As the FAA filed it

N3555N DEPARTED FULTON COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IN MISSOURI (KFTT) ON MAY 16, 2019 AT 10:50 CDT VFR DIRECT TO ANN ARBOR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, MICHIGAN (KARB). THE PRE TAKE OFF RUN-UP AND GROUND CHECKS WERE NORMAL AND ALL SYSTEMS PERFORMED AS EXPECTED. PILOT HAD FULL FUEL OF 64 GALLONS ON BOARD AND WITH ONLY HIMSELF AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF LUGGAGE ABOARD.

THE DEPARTURE AND CLIMB-OUT WAS NORMAL. AFTER CLEARING THE KFTT AIRSPACE THE PILOT REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM THE MIZZOU APPROACH, INDICATING VFR DIRECT TO (KARB) AT 7500 FEET MSL. WHILE CLIMBING N3555N WAS HANDED OFF TO KANSAS CITY CENTER. AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALTITUDE, THE PILOT STARTED CRUISE CONFIGURATION, BY LEANING THE ENGINE TO 100 DEGREES RICH OF PEAK OPERATION BY USING THE MIXTURE AND ONBOARD EDM-900 ENGINE MONITOR. UPON REACHING PEAK EGT, THE PILOT BEGAN TO ENRICHEN THE MIXTURE, HOWEVER THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LEAN FURTHER AND FURTHER. THE PILOT NOTED THE MIXTURE KNOB FELT LOOSE AND THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY RESISTANCE IN THE CABLE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LEAN OUT TO 2.8 GPM AS THIS WAS THE LAST FUEL FLOW THE PILOT OBSERVED. THE PILOT NOTIFIED KANSAS CITY CENTER THAT N3555N WAS DIVERTING TO (KH19) BOWLING GREEN, MO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, DUE TO FUEL FLOW ISSUES. THE PILOT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. WHILE DESCENDING TO (KH19) (WHICH THE PILOT AT THIS TIME DID NOT HAVE VISUAL CONTACT WITH) AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RESUME FUEL FLOW AND RE-ESTABLISH POWER FOR A CONTROLLED LANDING. ALL ATTEMPTS FAILED. ABOUT 1-2 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, N3555N WAS 3500 FT MSL IN LINE WITH RUNWAY 31. THE PILOT DECIDED THEIR WASN'T ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO SAFELY MAKE AN UNPOWERED CIRCLING PATTERN TO RUNWAY 13. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND AVIONICS AND REMOVED THE KEY TO MITIGATE POTENTIAL SOURCE OF IGNITION IN CASE OF A FUEL BREACH. HIGH ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 31 THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO SHED ALTITUDE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BY SLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT, LOWERING THE GEAR AND ENGAGING THE FLAPS. N3555N CROSSED RUNWAY 31 THRESHOLD AT ABOUT 120 KNOTS (RUNWAY 31 IS 3200 FOOT LONG)THE PILOT FELT HE WAS GOING TO OVERRUN THE RUNWAY INTO THE FIELD BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN. LANDING FAST AND ATTEMPTING TO GET THE WHEELS ON THE RUNWAY TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE, THE PILOT BOUNCED THE AIRCRAFT A FEW TIMES, WHICH RESULTED IN ONE PROPELLER BLADE MAKING CONTACT WITH THE CONCRETE RUNWAY. N3555N CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 375 FEET IN THE GRASS PAST THE END OF RUNWAY 31.