- Date
- September 11, 2008, 17:45 local (Sep 12, 2008, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Trinity Center, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1157KMooney M20K
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 10, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080911854729A
- Case key
- 69020
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 complete loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of a leak in the fuel system. Contributing to the accident was the rough terrain the airplane encountered during the forced landing.
Findings · 3
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
At an undetermined point in time, the bracket that supported the fuel flow transducer for the airplane’s fuel monitoring system failed. This allowed the transducer to vibrate, and ultimately lead to the loosening of the B-nut on the fuel line leading to the transducer. Because the B-nut became almost completely disconnected from the transducer, approximately 40 gallons of fuel was lost overboard during the flight. Because the leak was upstream of the transducer, the fuel management system did not detect or display the loss of fuel, and the engine ultimately lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot executed a forced landing at a non-controlled airport, but intentionally exited the side of the runway surface when it appeared that the airplane could not stop prior to departing the end of the runway and encountering a steep drop-off. After the airplane exited the side of the runway, it entered rough terrain and experienced a collapse of the left main landing gear. The collapse of the gear resulted in substantial damage to both the left wing and the aft fuselage.
Factual narrative
At an undetermined point in time, the bracket that supported the fuel flow transducer for the airplane's fuel monitoring system failed. This allowed the transducer to vibrate, and ultimately lead to the loosening of the B-nut on the fuel line leading to the transducer. Because the B-nut became almost completely disconnected from the transducer, approximately 40 gallons of fuel was lost overboard during the flight. Because the leak was upstream of the transducer, the fuel management system did not detect or display the loss of fuel, and the engine ultimately lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot executed a forced landing at a non-controlled airport, and intentionally exited the side of the runway surface when it appeared that the airplane could not stop prior to departing the end of the runway and encountering a steep drop-off. After the airplane exited the side of the runway, it entered rough terrain and experienced a collapse of the left main landing gear. The collapse of the gear resulted in substantial damage to both the left wing and the aft fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1157K
- Reported as
- Mooney M20K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-0644
- Airframe hours
- 3,005
- Engine
- Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wings Aloft
- Registered owner
- Moore Walter C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 2007
- Departed
- KBUR · Burbank, CA
- Destination
- KMFR · Medford, OR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- O86 · Trinity Center, runway 32, 3,215 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 25, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 271 total · 27 in this make and model · 271 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.