What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 21, 2024, at approximately 1034 local time a Mooney M20A aircraft registered to a private individual and being operated by a non-certificated pilot received damage following an off-field landing onto an unharvested cornfield with a collapsed nose and right main gear. The aircraft sustained impact damage to both wing leading edges, nose gear supports sheared at the lower attach point, right main gear forward attach point torn from the mount, and the nose cowling sustained impact damage. The field is located approximately 10 miles south of the marshal brooks field (rmy) on a 154 heading. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was the sole occupant and received no injuries.
According to the pilot he had just purchased the aircraft and was ferrying it from wilderness airpark (24M) in Michigan to williams county airport (0G6) in bryan Ohio in a gear-down configuration to have it inspected. He said that after approximately 45 minutes of flight, the engine quit with no warning and he was unable to restart. The pilot stated that before evacuating the aircraft he turned the fuel selector to off and all electrical switches to the down/off position. The pilot stated that he had 14.5 gallons in each wing tank and nothing in the aft reserve and from take-off to the off-field landing he had been using fuel from the left fuel tank. Upon examination of the aircraft, it was noted that the left wing tank appeared full and the right tank was empty and the fuel selector was pointing to the aft/reserve tank which is directly opposite of the off position. In this model of Mooney aircraft, there is one fuel gauge for both wings and it only indicates the wing you choose by flipping a switch and the pilot noted he had it in the left position.
The pilot was showen the fuel selector and indicated to him that the white dot opposite of the handle actually points to which tank position the pilot selects. He then admitted he had been confused and had it backwards.
It must also be noted that the aircraft has not had an annual inspection sign-off in the log books since January, 7th 2012.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 21, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1034 LOCAL TIME A MOONEY M20A AIRCRAFT REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND BEING OPERATED BY A NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT RECEIVED DAMAGE FOLLOWING AN OFF-FIELD LANDING ONTO AN UNHARVESTED CORNFIELD WITH A COLLAPSED NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGE TO BOTH WING LEADING EDGES, NOSE GEAR SUPPORTS SHEARED AT THE LOWER ATTACH POINT, RIGHT MAIN GEAR FORWARD ATTACH POINT TORN FROM THE MOUNT, AND THE NOSE COWLING SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGE. THE FIELD IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE MARSHAL BROOKS FIELD (RMY) ON A 154 HEADING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND RECEIVED NO INJURIES.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FERRYING IT FROM WILDERNESS AIRPARK (24M) IN MICHIGAN TO WILLIAMS COUNTY AIRPORT (0G6) IN BRYAN OHIO IN A GEAR-DOWN CONFIGURATION TO HAVE IT INSPECTED. HE SAID THAT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, THE ENGINE QUIT WITH NO WARNING AND HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART. THE PILOT STATED THAT BEFORE EVACUATING THE AIRCRAFT HE TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF AND ALL ELECTRICAL SWITCHES TO THE DOWN/OFF POSITION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD 14.5 GALLONS IN EACH WING TANK AND NOTHING IN THE AFT RESERVE AND FROM TAKE-OFF TO THE OFF-FIELD LANDING HE HAD BEEN USING FUEL FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LEFT WING TANK APPEARED FULL AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POINTING TO THE AFT/RESERVE TANK WHICH IS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OF THE OFF POSITION. IN THIS MODEL OF MOONEY AIRCRAFT, THERE IS ONE FUEL GAUGE FOR BOTH WINGS AND IT ONLY INDICATES THE WING YOU CHOOSE BY FLIPPING A SWITCH AND THE PILOT NOTED HE HAD IT IN THE LEFT POSITION.
THE PILOT WAS SHOWEN THE FUEL SELECTOR AND INDICATED TO HIM THAT THE WHITE DOT OPPOSITE OF THE HANDLE ACTUALLY POINTS TO WHICH TANK POSITION THE PILOT SELECTS. HE THEN ADMITTED HE HAD BEEN CONFUSED AND HAD IT BACKWARDS.
IT MUST ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAS NOT HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION SIGN-OFF IN THE LOG BOOKS SINCE JANUARY, 7TH 2012.