- Date
- September 17, 1989, 11:54 local (16:54 UTC)
- Place
- Brenham, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9462VMooney M20E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890917035369A
- Case key
- 22919
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
Improper maintenance, improperly secured oil line to the propeller governor, failure of the propeller governor oil line, and subsequent loss of oil, which resulted in oil exhaustion. Factors related to the accident were: failure of maintenance personnel to follow the service bulletin/instruction, and the tree and rough terrain in the emergency landing area.
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
During cruise at 6500 ft, oil appeared on the windscreen. Forward visibility was soon restricted & severe vibrations prompted the plt to secure the eng. Subsequently, the acft was dmgd when it hit a small tree & enctrd uneven terrain drg a forced lndg. Inv revealed a 90 deg aluminum fitting on the prop governor oil line had failed where it entered the eng case. The oil line was stainless steel & its movement was designed to be restrained by clamps, which were not in place. A svc instrn, issued in 1986, rcmndd that aluminum fittings be upgraded to stainless steel. A svc bulletin dated 9/8/89 related to numerous 'engine failures due to oil starvation resulting from broken governor lines.' According to that bulletin, failure to re-install the governor line clamps after maint had been the cause of numerous eng failures. Maint personnel accomplished both a top overhaul & an annual inspn, 50 & 12 hrs, respectively, bfr the acdnt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9462V
- Reported as
- Mooney M20E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 700036
- Airframe hours
- 1,442
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hall, David W.
- Registered owner
- David W Hall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 1989 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- 9XS2 · Porter, TX
- Destination
- PEQ · Pecos, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,226 total · 1,275 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.