What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 18th, 2022 while flying on a short cross country from ksre to 1K1 in a 1965
Mooney M20E with one passenger. The pilot heard and felt a power loss while at cruise,
North bound at 4500? MSL a few miles due east of glenco, Oklahoma.
The pilot found that the power setting was at idle power and had no control of the throttle lever. Manifold pressure indicated 11 to 12 inches and RPM
Indicated 2000 RPM. No matter how many times the pilot pushed or pulled the throttle lever there
Was no change in the idle power. The pilot turned the aircraft due west in the direction of Stillwater, Oklahoma which
Also paralleled a large interstate highway to the left. The pilot then began troubleshooting
Procedures of mixture rich, but that made the engine start running rough so he set it back to the
Lean setting he had for 4500? MSL. The engine return to running smooth. The pilot then turn on the electric
Boost with fuel selector already on the right fuel tank and tried the throttle lever full forward
And aft several times. There was no change in power. The pilot then switched the fuel selector to the
Left tank and again tried moving the throttle lever forward and aft, but again no change in
Power setting. The pilot then switched back to the right fuel tank tried the throttle lever still with no
Change in power setting. The pilot continued moving the throttle most of the way down just in case
A connection was made some how.
At this time, the pilot was already in contact with Kansas city center, after troubleshooting, the pilot told them his
Situation. The controller mentioned the highway to my left and confirmed he had the highway in sight. He positioned the aircraft over the highway looking for potential obstacles
While still maintaining best glide speed of 105 mph. The idle power setting he was left in
Didn?t allow him to maintain level flight.
The pilot continued descending over the highway and it looked clear until
About 50 to 100 feet over the highway. At that height a white suv appeared in front of the
Aircraft, so the pilot did a slight turn to the left thinking he didn?t want the prop to make contact with
The vehicle. The aircraft touched down on the highway with the gear up very softly
And started a skid straight ahead. Then shortly afterward the left wing struck a highway sign and
The aircraft did a slow left 360 degrees turn until we were heading the original direction of
Touchdown and then came to a stop on the right median in front of a side barrier. The aircraft did not make contact with the vehicle.
Both persons exited the aircraft with no injuries. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that all engine controls had continuity. Both fuel tanks had substantial fuel in them. No abnormal visual findings were noted at this time.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 18TH, 2022 WHILE FLYING ON A SHORT CROSS COUNTRY FROM KSRE TO 1K1 IN A 1965
MOONEY M20E WITH ONE PASSENGER. THE PILOT HEARD AND FELT A POWER LOSS WHILE AT CRUISE,
NORTH BOUND AT 4500? MSL A FEW MILES DUE EAST OF GLENCO, OKLAHOMA.
THE PILOT FOUND THAT THE POWER SETTING WAS AT IDLE POWER AND HAD NO CONTROL OF THE THROTTLE LEVER. MANIFOLD PRESSURE INDICATED 11 TO 12 INCHES AND RPM
INDICATED 2000 RPM. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THE PILOT PUSHED OR PULLED THE THROTTLE LEVER THERE
WAS NO CHANGE IN THE IDLE POWER. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT DUE WEST IN THE DIRECTION OF STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA WHICH
ALSO PARALLELED A LARGE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT THEN BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING
PROCEDURES OF MIXTURE RICH, BUT THAT MADE THE ENGINE START RUNNING ROUGH SO HE SET IT BACK TO THE
LEAN SETTING HE HAD FOR 4500? MSL. THE ENGINE RETURN TO RUNNING SMOOTH. THE PILOT THEN TURN ON THE ELECTRIC
BOOST WITH FUEL SELECTOR ALREADY ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND TRIED THE THROTTLE LEVER FULL FORWARD
AND AFT SEVERAL TIMES. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN POWER. THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE
LEFT TANK AND AGAIN TRIED MOVING THE THROTTLE LEVER FORWARD AND AFT, BUT AGAIN NO CHANGE IN
POWER SETTING. THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED BACK TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK TRIED THE THROTTLE LEVER STILL WITH NO
CHANGE IN POWER SETTING. THE PILOT CONTINUED MOVING THE THROTTLE MOST OF THE WAY DOWN JUST IN CASE
A CONNECTION WAS MADE SOME HOW.
AT THIS TIME, THE PILOT WAS ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH KANSAS CITY CENTER, AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, THE PILOT TOLD THEM HIS
SITUATION. THE CONTROLLER MENTIONED THE HIGHWAY TO MY LEFT AND CONFIRMED HE HAD THE HIGHWAY IN SIGHT. HE POSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT OVER THE HIGHWAY LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL OBSTACLES
WHILE STILL MAINTAINING BEST GLIDE SPEED OF 105 MPH. THE IDLE POWER SETTING HE WAS LEFT IN
DIDN?T ALLOW HIM TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT.
THE PILOT CONTINUED DESCENDING OVER THE HIGHWAY AND IT LOOKED CLEAR UNTIL
ABOUT 50 TO 100 FEET OVER THE HIGHWAY. AT THAT HEIGHT A WHITE SUV APPEARED IN FRONT OF THE
AIRCRAFT, SO THE PILOT DID A SLIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT THINKING HE DIDN?T WANT THE PROP TO MAKE CONTACT WITH
THE VEHICLE. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE GEAR UP VERY SOFTLY
AND STARTED A SKID STRAIGHT AHEAD. THEN SHORTLY AFTERWARD THE LEFT WING STRUCK A HIGHWAY SIGN AND
THE AIRCRAFT DID A SLOW LEFT 360 DEGREES TURN UNTIL WE WERE HEADING THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF
TOUCHDOWN AND THEN CAME TO A STOP ON THE RIGHT MEDIAN IN FRONT OF A SIDE BARRIER. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE VEHICLE.
BOTH PERSONS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT ALL ENGINE CONTROLS HAD CONTINUITY. BOTH FUEL TANKS HAD SUBSTANTIAL FUEL IN THEM. NO ABNORMAL VISUAL FINDINGS WERE NOTED AT THIS TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.