ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 217570
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| Date: | Saturday 10 November 2018 |
| Time: | 16:30 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20C Ranger |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N78870 |
| MSN: | 2885 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1964 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3538 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A10 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Cape May County Airport (KWWD), Wildwood, NJ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Wildwood-Cape May County Airport, NJ (WWD/KWWD) |
| Whiteville-Columbus County Municipal Airport, NC (KCPC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that the airplane contained 21 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank and 3 gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank before the flight. The pilot performed the engine start, taxi, runup, and takeoff with the fuel selector on the right fuel tank. During the initial climb, at an altitude between 100 and 200 ft above ground level, the engine sputtered and then lost all power. With about 1,700 ft of runway remaining, the pilot entered a right turn, and the airplane impacted the ground left of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing, the left horizontal stabilizer, and left elevator.
Postaccident examination of the airplane found that the right fuel tank contained no fuel, and the left fuel tank contained about 20 gallons. The fuel selector was found in the left tank position. It is likely that, during the accident sequence, the pilot moved the fuel selector to the left tank position; but the airplane's low altitude at the time of the loss of power provided insufficient time to restore fuel flow before impact. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's mismanagement of the available fuel. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to initiate a 180° turn following the loss of power despite the runway remaining.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to initiate a 180° turn following the loss of power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA19TA042
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=78870
https://flightaware.com/photos/view/29032-053b37d70d9bc25f9a33062275530f1f5f005877/aircrafttype/M20P
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Nov-2018 03:07 | Geno | Added |
| 11-Nov-2018 03:08 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 08-Jul-2022 18:54 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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