- Date
- September 12, 2008, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Saline, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Aircraft
- N6646UMooney M20D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080912851179A
- Case key
- 68941
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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
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
The certified private pilot conducted a preflight of his single-engine airplane prior to departing from a private airstrip. He stated that there was no water in the fuel when he sumped the wing tanks and the oil level was slightly below eight quarts. The pilot started the engine and taxied the airplane to the end of the runway, performed two separate engine run-ups and departed. Shortly after take off, at an altitude of 50 feet above the ground, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and he made a forced landing on the remaining section of the runway. After the airplane touched down the pilot swerved to avoid contact with a parked airplane and subsequently ran into a ditch. Examination of the engine/airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed there were no mechanical deficiencies that would have resulted in a loss of engine power.
Factual narrative
The certified private pilot conducted a preflight of his single-engine airplane prior to departing from a private airstrip. He stated that there was no water in the fuel when he sumped the wing tanks and the oil level was slightly below eight quarts. The pilot started the engine and taxied the airplane to the end of the runway, performed two separate engine run-ups and departed. Shortly after take off, at an altitude of 50 feet above the ground, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and he made a forced landing on the remaining section of the runway. After the airplane touched down the pilot swerved to avoid contact with a parked airplane and subsequently ran into a ditch. Examination of the engine/airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed there were no mechanical deficiencies that would have resulted in a loss of engine power. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and both wings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6646U
- Reported as
- Mooney M20D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 141
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Coggins Danny G
- Registered owner
- Coggins Danny G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- None · Grand Saline, TX
- Destination
- Rockwall, TX
- Airport
- None · Brady Field, runway 04
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 302 total · 130 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.