- Date
- April 21, 1993, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Starkville, MS
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7985QMooney M20E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930421009769A
- Case key
- 33259
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-in-command's failure to refuel the airplane, resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, resulting in a forced landing and in-flight collision with trees and terrain.
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 ATP pilot was in VFR cruise flight at 6,500 feet AGL when he experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field and collided with trees and terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot received a serious injury. The pilot stated he had been airborne for 3 hours 40 minutes, and the loss of engine power was due to fuel starvation. Examination of the fuel tanks by the FAA revealed about 23 to 25 ounces of fuel remaining in the fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7985Q
- Reported as
- Mooney M20E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0514
- Airframe hours
- 1,939
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Mc Cann, William H.
- Registered owner
- Mc Cann, William H.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 2, 1992 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 2RO · Waynesboro, MS
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
- 41
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 400 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GTR, 25 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.