Pilot Debrief

MOONEY M20K near Fostoria, OH — 2023-08-20

Final reportERA23LA344
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Date
2023-08-20
Location
Fostoria, OH, USA
Aircraft
MOONEY M20K
Registration
N1152K
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for unknown reasons.

NTSB narrative

During climb out following a practice landing approach, the pilot heard a “mechanical noise” and the engine began to intermittently cut out, then stopped producing power entirely. The pilot was unable to return to the runway and made a forced landing to a soybean field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Data downloaded from the onboard engine data monitor indicated a brief increase in manifold and fuel pressure before the loss of engine power. A postaccident examination of the fuel system, fuel-injected engine, and ignition system revealed no evidence of any mechanical issues or deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the engine at the time of the accident. As such, the investigation was not able to determine why the engine lost power.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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