- Date
- March 1, 1992, 16:14 local (21:14 UTC)
- Place
- Charleston, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6748UMooney M20C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920301004869A
- Case key
- 8563
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The blocked fuel vent.
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 pilot attempted to change fuel tanks, after he experienced a loss of engine power. The engine regained power for a short period of time, and then lost power again. The pilot executed an emergency landing in a group of small trees. Examination of the aircraft revealed that the right wing fuel tank was empty, and the left fuel tank was approximately one fourth full. Further examination revealed that the left wing tank fuel vent was blocked by nesting dirt daubers, and air could not be forced through the vent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6748U
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2470
- Airframe hours
- 4,192
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Hannon, Fred W.
- Registered owner
- Hannon, Fred W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 8, 1991 · 136 hours before
- Departed
- 7NCO · Bayboro, NC
- Destination
- 8S5 · Mt. Pleasant, SC
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 683 total · 660 in this make and model · 583 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHS, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.