ERA23LA344

During climb out following a practice landing approach, the pilot heard a “mechanical noise” and the engine began to intermittently cut out, then stopped producing power entirely. The pilot was unable to return to the runway and made a forced landing to a soybean field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Data downloaded from the onboard engine data monitor indicated a brief increase in manifold and fuel pressure before the loss of engine power. A postaccident examination of the fuel system, fuel-injected engine, and ignition system revealed no evidence of any mechanical issues or deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the engine at the time of the accident. As such, the investigation was not able to determine why the engine lost power.

On August 20, 2023, at 1615 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20K airplane, N1152K, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fostoria, Ohio. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot, who owned the airplane, reported that he had completed a practice instrument approach to Fostoria Metro Airport (FZI), Fostoria, Ohio, but did not land. As the airplane was climbing out after the practice approach, he raised the landing gear and heard a “mechanical noise”, and the engine began to lose and gain power similar to the ignition turning on and off. The engine then stopped producing power when the airplane was about 500-900 ft above the ground (agl). The pilot was unable to return to the runway and made a forced landing to a soybean field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Data downloaded from the onboard engine data monitor indicated a brief increase in manifold and fuel pressure before the engine lost power. A postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed the wing fuel tanks were intact, and fuel was visible in each wing fuel tank. When the master switch was turned on, the fuel gauges indicated about 27 gallons in the right tank and about 20 gallons in the left tank. A fuel sample from the left-wing tank was absent of water and debris. The fuel selector moved freely to each detent, and the electric boost fuel pump worked when tested. The top spark plugs were removed from the engine. The plugs were clean and properly gapped with no sign of damage. The engine’s crankshaft was manually rotated, and compression was established for each cylinder and spark was observed on each ignition lead. The ignition switch was checked for any faults and none were found. The engine-driven fuel pump was removed, and the driveshaft was intact. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were in the full aft position, and the induction air filter was clean. No mechanical issues or deficiencies were observed with the engine or fuel system that would have precluded normal operation of the engine at the time of the accident.