- Date
- August 1, 1988, 15:41 local (20:41 UTC)
- Place
- Racine, WI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N56352Mooney M20K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880801031859A
- Case key
- 13978
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
Engine failure due to fuel starvation.
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 private pilot and his passenger departed aspen, Colorado at his estimated time of 1000 CDT. No flight plan was filed. The pilot had requested full fuel service at aspen, but did not perform a visual check during preflight. Flight was conducted at 13,500 feet MSL. Approximately 5 hours and 33 minutes into flight the pilot advised kankakee afss that he was over lake Michigan and 'low on fuel.' The aircraft ditched at approximately 1541 CDT. Both occupants were retrieved by the U.S. Coast guard 1 hour and 30 minutes after ditching. The aircraft has not been recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56352
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 250743
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wayne Christenson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 1988
- Departed
- ASE · Aspen, CO
- Destination
- GRR · Grand Rapids, MI
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,050 total · 980 in this make and model · 1,045 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKE, 24 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.