- Date
- May 2, 2017, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Olathe, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7118UMooney M20
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170502008569A
- Case key
- 95113
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 separated fuel tank selector knob roll pin, which prevented the fuel selector from moving to the fuel tank position for the tank with usable fuel and resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
Findings · 1
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 pilot reported that, during the initial climb, about 1,000 ft above the ground, he "saw the engine power winding down." He added that he "turned on" the boost pump, checked the magnetos and fuel mixture, and then switched the fuel selector to the other fuel tank. The engine experienced a total loss of power and then impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that he traveled to the accident, and while on-site, he observed that the fuel selector knob set screw was loose and that the knob turned freely on the shaft. The set screw doesn’t keep the knob keyed; it just stops it from coming off. A roll pin keeps the shaft in position and was observed in the selector well. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7118U
- Reported as
- Mooney M20 (E)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 360
- Built
- 1964
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smooth Blue Inc.
- Registered owner
- Smooth Blue Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- OJC · Olathe, KS
- Destination
- MHK · Manhattan, KS
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- OJC · Johnson County Executive
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Private, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 21, 2017
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KOJC
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 12.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.