# Incident 20220127001149I: Mooney M20C, Phoenix, AZ, January 27, 2022

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 27, 2022, 15:15 local time
- Place: Phoenix, AZ
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.4484° N, 112.0740° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Phoenix, AZ, within about 13 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4484&lon=-112.0740&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4061N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4061N) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20C (registry code 5870208, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20C
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-360-A1D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 166 total, 17 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220127001149I

## Narrative

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

PILOT COMPLETED THE PREFLIGHT BUT ONLY VISUALLY VERIFIED FUEL WAS PRESENT.  HE THEN USED THE FUEL GAUGES TO ASSESS THE QUANTITY OF FUEL PRESENT IN THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT.  THE PILOT NOTICED THE FUEL WAS BEING USED QUICKER THAN EXPECTED AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT.  DURING THE FIRST TWO ATTEMPTS AT LANDING HE BOUNCED AND WENT AROUND. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT THE ENGINE DIED WHILE ON FINAL.  HE STATED HE SWITCHED TANKS AND THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY RESTARTED THEN AGAIN STALLED, AT WHICH POINT HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.

MY STATEMENT:

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WITH THIS AIRCRAFT I'M UNABLE TO "DIP" THE TANKS TO GET A RELIABLE MEASUREMENT OF FUEL ONBOARD.  I HAVE TO USE THE FUEL GAUGES.

FUEL ASSESSMENT BEFORE FLIGHT: LEFT TANK INDICATED 1/2 FULL, RIGHT TANK INDICATED 5/8 FULL.

WHILE IN FLIGHT I NOTICED FUEL WAS BEING DEPLETED FASTER THAN I EXPECTED AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO KDVT.

RIGHT TRAFFIC 25R. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO PORPOISE SO I WENT AROUND.  THIS HAPPENED TWICE.  ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT I WAS ON RIGHT BASE TO FINAL AND ATC INSTRUCTED ME TO RE-JOIN THE RIGHT DOWNWIND THEN (IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY) GAVE ME A LANDING CLEARANCE FOR 25R.

WHILE TURNING TO FINAL, THE ENGINE QUITS, EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ENSUE, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH ATC, LANDED SAFELY IN THE DESERT EAST OF KDVT.

WHAT I THINK HAPPENED: FUEL STARVATION. I INCORRECTLY THOUGHT I HAD ~2.7 HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD BASED ON THE FUEL INDICATORS.

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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