- Date
- November 17, 1990, 11:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Tuba City, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5703QMooney M20E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901117051049A
- Case key
- 27062
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
Failure of the piston rings which reduced the available engine power, and the pilot's continued operation of his airplane with a known engine deficiency during the relatively high density altitude 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
The plt had repeatedly experienced a rough running eng during his cross-country flt from sante fe. He had also observed high eng and oil temps. He made a precautionary landing and requested that a mechanic repair the eng. He then took off and continued his planned flight. Once again the eng ran rough, and he made another precautionary landing. He examined the airplane and added five quarts of oil to the eng. During the takeoff roll the eng again ran rough. The airplane overran the end of the 2,000 ft dirt runway and collided with terrain. Examination of the eng revealed broken rings in two pistons, and all other piston rings had lost their temper. Density altitude estimated 6.700 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5703Q
- Reported as
- Mooney M20E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 711
- Airframe hours
- 3,689
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Story, David L.
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 1990 · 210 hours before
- Destination
- GCN · Grand Canyon, AZ
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 556 total · 69 in this make and model · 480 as pilot in command · 86 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.