- Date
- June 19, 1987, 11:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Middlefield, OH
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8391EMooney M20A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870619021079A
- Case key
- 7453
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft struck a fence during a forced ldg, following a loss of engine pwr in flight. The plt reported that he had topped off both main fuel tanks prior to departure. About 10 minutes after departure at about 4000 ft MSL, he smelled fuel fumes in the cockpit. He observed that the fuel level gauge for the tank in use was indicating 1/2 full. The engine completely lost power shortly thereafter. Efforts to restart the engine by turning on the boost pump and switching tanks were unsuccessful. Post-crash exam of the acft by the FAA revealed evidence of a fuel gascolator leak. The gascolator gaskets appeared to be homemade. No problems were found to exist in the rest of the fuel system or the engine. The acft had acquired 2 hrs flt time since the last annual, which was accomplished 3 weeks before the accident. The mechanic who performed the annual reported that he had disassembled and cleaned the gascolator prior to completing the inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8391E
- Reported as
- Mooney M20A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1569
- Airframe hours
- 1,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John C. Harshbarger, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 31, 1987 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- BKL · Cleveland, OH
- Destination
- W66 · Midland, VA
- Airport
- 7G8 · Geauga County
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 970 total · 800 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.