- Date
- October 13, 1992, 23:00 local (Oct 14, 1992, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mexia, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N201BLMooney M20J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921013043139A
- Case key
- 18598
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 fueled the aircraft with jet fuel instead of avaition gasoline. Factors were the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing and the dark night light conditions.
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
Prior to a night departure from a local airport the pilot refueled his airplane. During the initial climb the engine lost total power and the pilot was forced to execute a forced landing to unsuitable terrain. An evaluation of the fuel revealed that the aviation fuel was contaminated with jet a type fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N201BL
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1259
- Airframe hours
- 2,837
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Abilene Aero Inc, doing business as Lubbock Aero
- Registered owner
- Abilene Aero Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 1992 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- TX06
- Destination
- LBB · Lubbock, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 23
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 220 total · 60 in this make and model · 170 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ACT, 45 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.