Pilot Debrief

MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20 near Nacogdoches, TX — 2017-01-04

Final reportCEN17LA068
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Date
2017-01-04
Location
Nacogdoches, TX, USA
Airport
OCH
Aircraft
MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M20
Registration
N1159G
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination and testing of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight. He reported that he entered the downwind pattern at his home airfield and prepared the airplane to land using the manufacturer's checklist, which included selecting the fullest fuel tank, setting flaps to 5°, and lowering the landing gear. While on an extended downwind leg, the pilot noticed that the airplane had descended to between 700 and 800 ft above ground level, so he added engine power to climb back to pattern altitude, but the engine stopped producing power. The pilot turned the airplane toward the runway, which he estimated was more than 1.5 miles away. He realized that he was not going to be able to glide the configured airplane to the runway, so he performed a forced landing to a field but landed short in a wooded area. Examination and testing of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Maintenance had recently been conducted on the fuel selector's union fitting. The mechanic who conducted the maintenance reported purging the lines of air and conducting a successful postmaintenance test flight before releasing the airplane to the pilot. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have switched fuel tanks earlier to prevent engine power loss.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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