# NTSB CEN20CA249: Mooney M20C, N6728U, Lahoma, OK, June 1, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 1, 2020, 17:15 local (22:15 UTC) - Place: Lahoma, OK - Coordinates: 36.3875, -98.089721 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3875&lon=-98.0897&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101503 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20CA249 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101503/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101503 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA249 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot’s improper fuel planning before the flight. ## 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 M20C, 16 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=5870208), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Mooney M20C, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=5870208), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Mooney M20C, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=5870208), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) ## Analysis After about 1 hour of normal flight, the engine lost power. The pilot switched from the right fuel tank to the left fuel tank and the engine restarted. About 5 minutes later, the engine lost power again. The pilot decided to land the airplane in a field since the nearest airport was about 8 miles away. Upon touchdown in the field, the airplane hit a berm, and the landing gear collapsed. The aft fuselage and empennage sustained substantial damage. After the accident, the pilot reported that he was not familiar with the recently purchased airplane’s fuel system. He also stated that he normally topped off his fuel tanks before each flight, but he did not do so before the accident flight. Examination of the airplane at the accident site confirmed that there was no usable fuel on board. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6728U](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6728U), registered now, S/N 2460, built 1963 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Mooney M20C (No Series) - Registry model: [Mooney M20C](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c) (registry code 5870208) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2460 - Year built: 1963 - Engines: Lycoming O-360 SER 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 1, 2020 - Departed: OKC, Oklahoma City, OK - Destination: WDG, Lahoma, OK - Airport: WDG, Enid Municipal - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 81; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: unknown, unknown; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 3,500 total, 2 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 13 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 12,000 ft broken - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: WDG, 8 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200601019469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200601019469A), Jun 1, 2020: Mooney M20C, Lahoma, OK, Substantial damage. Pilot departed Oklahoma city will rogers airport. He departed to the nw to Lahoma Oklahoma which was his intended destination. As the pilot was preparing to… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101503. 5.0 MB in all. - _Memorandum for the record pilot telephone conversation and statement CEN20CA249 (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 151 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12505809&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=_Memorandum%20for%20the%20Record%20Pilot%20Telephone%20Conversation%20and%20Statement%20CEN20CA249_Redacted-Rel.pdf - _Memorandum for the record on-scene FAA inspector findings CEN20CA249 (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 150 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12505564&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=_Memorandum%20for%20the%20Record%20On-Scene%20FAA%20Inspector%20Findings%20CEN20CA249_Redacted-Rel.pdf - _Photo array CEN20CA249 (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 4.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12506770&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=_Photo%20Array%20CEN20CA249-Rel.pdf 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.