ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 285606
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Monday 8 September 2008 |
| Time: | 15:30 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20J |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | N301KC |
| MSN: | 24-0414 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2760 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Hackettstown, New Jersey -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Hackettstown, NJ (N05) |
| UNKNOWN | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On the day of the accident, the pilot completed two uneventful positioning flight legs before refueling. The pilot added fuel to the right wing tank only, since the left tank was still full. In his subsequent preflight inspection, he drained some fuel from the gascolator, and obtained and examined a fuel sample from the right tank drain, without noting any anomalies. The pilot did not capture a sample when he drained the gascolator, since the gascolator drain was activated from the cockpit. The pilot's procedure was contrary to the instructions in the pilot's operating handbook, which stated to sample the fuel from the gascolator drain. Engine start, taxi, and engine run-up, all of which were conducted using the right tank, were normal. The takeoff roll and initial climb were normal, but when the airplane was approximately 25 feet above the runway, the engine "quit dead." The pilot performed an emergency landing in the grass alongside the runway, and the airplane was stopped by trees beyond the runway end. Postaccident fuel samples yielded several ounces of water each from the right tank, gascolator, and engine fuel line. No other anomalies were noted with the airplane or engine. No water or other contaminants were found in the airport fuel storage tank or dispensing system, and no problems were reported by the operators of any aircraft that were fueled from the airport storage tank on the same day as the accident airplane.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to adhere to the airplane manufacturer's published preflight inspection procedures, enabling water to remain undetected in the fuel system, which resulted in a complete loss of engine power immediately after takeoff.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC08LA311
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Oct-2022 12:16 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation