- Date
- December 11, 1988, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Alexandria, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3820HMooney M20J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881211071649A
- Case key
- 36349
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
Loss of control experience during landing rollout after an off airport landing was made due to a power loss caused by contaminated fuel. Water had been removed prior to departure.
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 aircraft was cruising at 3500 feet when it lost power and made a forced landing on a road. It struck a pothole during landing rollout and directional control was lost with the aircraft receiving substantial damage. On scene investigation by the FAA showed the gascolator full of ice and the right fuel drain was frozen. Later the aircraft was warmed up in a hangar and 1/2 gallon of water was removed from the right wing. Water was also found in the engine fuel control inlet screen.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3820H
- Reported as
- Mooney M20J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-0951
- Airframe hours
- 745
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William A. Jardine
- Registered owner
- Randall Holmes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 1988 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- College Station, PA
- Destination
- Pittsburgh, PA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,800 total · 780 in this make and model · 11,600 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.