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Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Mooney M20C · Lancaster, PA · February 5, 2025

Date: February 5, 2025 · 13:30 local
Place: Lancaster, PA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N9655M
Reported as: Mooney M20C
Reported engine: Lycoming O360 A1D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport

N9655MRegistered now · Mooney M20CS/N 670111 · Built 1967 Airframe modelMooney M20C Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

The aircraft departed Lancaster airport (klns) to conduct an engine break-in procedure for a newly installed engine. The aircraft headed southwest and established a cruise altitude of 2,500 feet. After 50 minutes, the pilot experienced a complete power loss and executed an off-airport landing safely, with no damage. Upon investigation, the left fuel tank was found empty, and only a small, undetermined amount of fuel was observed in the right tank. The aircraft was inspected by maintenance, refueled, and underwent a full run-up. It then departed from its location and successfully returned to klns airport. The airman subsequently completed a compliance action of remedial training on aircraft fuel management.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LANCASTER AIRPORT (KLNS) TO CONDUCT AN ENGINE BREAK-IN PROCEDURE FOR A NEWLY INSTALLED ENGINE.THE AIRCRAFT HEADED SOUTHWEST AND ESTABLISHED A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 2,500 FEET. AFTER 50 MINUTES, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE POWER LOSS AND EXECUTED AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING SAFELY, WITH NO DAMAGE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS FOUND EMPTY, AND ONLY A SMALL, UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE RIGHT TANK.THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED BY MAINTENANCE, REFUELED, AND UNDERWENT A FULL RUN-UP. IT THEN DEPARTED FROM ITS LOCATION AND SUCCESSFULLY RETURNED TO KLNS AIRPORT. THE AIRMAN SUBSEQUENTLY COMPLETED A COMPLIANCE ACTION OF REMEDIAL TRAINING ON AIRCRAFT FUEL MANAGEMENT.