# NTSB CEN13LA388: Mooney M20K, N5254G, Hudson, CO, June 28, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 28, 2013, 16:25 local (22:25 UTC) - Place: Hudson, CO - Coordinates: 39.999443, -104.554168 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9994&lon=-104.5542&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report February 10, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - NTSB case key (mKey): 87363 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13LA388 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/87363/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA388 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Mooney M20K, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=5870220), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Mooney M20K, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=5870220), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Mooney M20K, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=5870220), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) ## Analysis The engine lost power in flight, and the pilot made a forced landing to a field. During the postaccident examination, 1 pint of fuel was recovered from the right wing fuel tank, and 7.5 gallons of fuel were recovered from the left wing fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was found in the right fuel tank position. No fuel was found in the lines to the engine. A postaccident examination of the airframe and remaining systems revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative On June 28, 2013, about 1625 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20K airplane, N5254G, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Hudson, Colorado. The commercial pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC), Broomfield, Colorado, at 1600. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident, the engine lost power in flight. During the forced landing to a field, the fuselage and firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not provide a written narrative of the sequence of events leading up to the accident. The airplane and engine were examined by the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA at a storage facility in Greeley, Colorado. One pint of fuel was recovered from the right wing fuel tank and 7.5 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left wing fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was selected to the right fuel tank. There was no fuel in the lines to the engine including the throttle body to the fuel distribution valve. Further examination revealed that the fuel gauges were not accurate. An examination of the airframe and remaining systems revealed no anomalies. According to the Mooney M20K flight manual found in the airplane, the system has 3 gallons of unusable fuel and 75.6 gallons of usable fuel. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5254G](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5254G), registered now, S/N 25-1180, built 1988 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20K - Registry model: [Mooney M20K](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (registry code 5870220) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 25-1180 - Airframe hours: 4200 - Engines: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER 225 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Slack J Evan - Registered owner: Slack J Evan - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: KBJC, Broomfield, CO - Destination: KFTG, Watkins, CO - Flight plan: VFR - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 78; injuries: serious; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 10, 2012; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 9,000 total, 4,085 in this make and model, 8,960 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 10° at 13 knots, gusting 17 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 93 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: KDEN ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20130628011839A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130628011839A), Jun 28, 2013: Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K, Keenesburg, CO, Substantial damage. On 06/28/2013 at approximately 1651 hrs. MDT, N5254G a Mooney model M-20K aircraft sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing near Keenesburg,… ## Other investigations on N5254G (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA18LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA058), Dec 22, 2017: Mooney M20K (N5254G), Venice, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: A failure of the normal landing gear extension system for reasons that could not be determined due to damage to the system and the pilot's failure to ensure that the landing gear was down and locked… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.