- Date
- July 31, 1982, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sandy, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9707MMooney M20F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 31, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820731034839A
- Case key
- 72520
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
After the engine was overhauled, the pilot and a mechanic took off on a test flight. During the takeoff climb the engine lost power and when force landed on soft terrain, the nose and right main landing gear collapsed. An examination revealed that the left wing tank quick drain was inoperable (rusted shut) and water was found in the fuel system. Reportedly, the quick drain had been inoperative since the pilot had purchased the aircraft, about two years previously. The pilot believed water could be drained from the left tank by selecting that position and pulling the gascolator handle in the cockpit. An authorized Mooney distributor stated that over one gallon of fluid would have to be drained in this manner, to be effective.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9707M
- Reported as
- Mooney M20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 670267
- Airframe hours
- 3,001
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Wright Custom Products
- Registered owner
- Wright Custom Products
- Departed
- S48 · Sandy, OR
- Destination
- S48 · Sandy, OR
- Airport
- S48 · Coutry Squire Airpark, runway 7, 3,110 × 32 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,002 total · 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 140 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.