- Date
- September 16, 2021, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Howell, MI · Corn field
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N823SPMooney M20J
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20210916015819A
- Case key
- 103893
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 pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane’s fuel quantity, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Before takeoff, the pilot estimated that 19 gallons of fuel remained in the airplane based on approximate flight time and fuel burn since the last refueling. His displays read 30 gallons remaining. He departed on a 20 nautical mile flight and shortly after takeoff the engine began to run rough. The engine stopped running rough and the pilot scanned the engine instruments which displayed normal readings. The pilot continued to his destination but had second thoughts and decided to return to his home field. While in cruise flight at 4,500 ft mean sea level, the engine quit. The pilot performed a forced landing to a corn field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings during the forced landing. A postaccident examination determined there was no fuel in the right tank and 6.5 gallons in the left tank. When electrical power was applied to the airplane, the right tank display indicated ½ full. The fuel quantity of the airplane was last calibrated in 2006 when it was modified with a dual bladder system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N823SP
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0003
- Built
- 1976
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-A3B6D, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- S & P Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KOZW · Howell, MI
- Destination
- KPTK · Pontiac, MI
- Airport
- n/a
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 17, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 185 total · 48 in this make and model · 151 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KOZW, 4 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KOZW 161955Z AUTO 16005KT 10SM SCT050 25/12 A3013 RMK AO2 T02490123=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 17, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.