- Date
- August 11, 1990, 12:04 local (19:04 UTC)
- Place
- Lodi, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9236MMooney M20C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900811033379A
- Case key
- 26890
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 to continue his flight with a unresolved deficiency in the aircraft powerplant resulting in total failure of the powerplant.
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
The acft had departed another aprt earlier the same day. The plt noticed the eng oil press was low. The plt diverted from his destination to another aprt. While enroute, the eng oil press gauge went to zero. After landing, the plt checked the acft eng oil system for leaks. There were none and the quantity of oil was correct at 7 qts. The plt then elected to continue flt. About 1 hr into the flt, the acft prop went to low pitch; 30 seconds later the eng lost power. The plt landed the acft in a field. The eng was examined and a hole was found in the eng case. The no 2 piston rod had failed. The rod exhibited signs of excessive heat evident of oil starvation. The reason for the loss of oil pressure could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9236M
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3445
- Airframe hours
- 2,897
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gifford, Kevin H.
- Registered owner
- Gifford, Kevin H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 15, 1990 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- FAT · Fresn0, CA
- Destination
- MYV · Marysville, CA
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 474 total · 65 in this make and model · 199 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SCK, 20 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.