ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 354449
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: | Sunday 17 May 1998 |
| Time: | 22:30 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20E |
| Owner/operator: | Flight Training, Inc. |
| Registration: | N1306W |
| MSN: | 194 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1963 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3905 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-A1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Watkins, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Taxi |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Akron, CO (KAKO) |
| (KFTG) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot said that he experienced a total electrical failure while on a night cross-country flight. He landed without incident but while taxiing along the unlit taxiway, he lost sight of the centerline stripe. The airplane went off the taxiway and down an embankment. The airport night manager said the pilot told him he would 'turn on the navigation lights, if necessary,' to warn other airplanes. Postaccident inspection disclosed that when the master switch was turned on, all electrical components functioned normally. A specific gravity check indicated the battery was fully charged. According to the operator's records, the Hobbs meter and tachometer registered 65.9 and 3903.3, respectively, when the pilot checked the airplane out. At the accident site, the Hobbs meter and tachometer registered 67.6 and 3905.1, respectively, a Hobbs meter difference of 1.7 hours and a tachometer difference of 1.8 hours. The operator said he believed the pilot had turned off the master switch in an attempt to save on rental charges. He had also received reports from other renter pilots who said the pilot had bragged about saving money by turning off the master switch. An FAA inspector said that, based on the point where the aircraft departed the taxiway and its point of impact, taxi speed was excessive.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain visual contact with the taxiway. Factors were the pilot's disabling the electrical system by turning off the master switch, a dark night, and excessive taxi speed.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW98LA222
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Mar-2024 14:33 | 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