Mooney M20 Safety Record

inadequate maintenance/inspection, which resulted in a failure to detect and correct moisture contamination of the left magneto; and/or improper adjustment of the engine fuel pump output, which resulted in excessive fuel pressure.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING TAKEOFF DUE TO HIS ATTENTION BEING DIVERTED. FACTORS WERE THE PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE BLOCKING THE GEAR UP LATCHING MECHANISM, AND HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE.

fuel exhaustion for undetermined reason(s), which resulted in loss of engine power and a subsequent forced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: faulty fuel quantity gauge/system.

CORROSION IN THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. RELATED FACTORS WERE: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE, AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

THE LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL AS A RESULT OF THE PILOT ENCOUNTERING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW AMBIENT LIGHT CONDITIONS AND THE LACK OF RUNWAY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE, RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION, RESULTING IN A FORCED LANDING AND IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES AND TERRAIN.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT DESCENDING BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE AND NOT PERFORMING THE BRIEFED MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE ALONG WITH THE DARK NIGHT, FOG, DRIZZLE, AND LOW CEILING.

ENGINE FAILURE RESULTING FROM THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE AND THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING AT NIGHT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RESTRICTED VISIBILITY.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN FLYING SPEED, RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BY THE PILOT, AND THE PILOT'S DECISION TO MAKE THE TAKEOFF UNDER THE EXISTING CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ON TAKEOFF CLIMB IN A TURN RESULTING IN AN INADVERTNENT STALL AND SUBSEQUENT IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A CROSSWIND WITH GUSTS.

INTERGRANULAR CRACKING (FATIGUE) FAILURE OF THE EXHAUST CLAMP, WHICH RESULTED IN A DISCONNECTED EXHAUST MANIFOLD (TAILPIPE), AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

MALFUNCTION OF BOTH MAGNETOS DUE TO DETERIORATION OF THE COILS, FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO COMPLY WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT WHILE ON AN APPROACH FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE OBSTRUCTION (TREE) IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA, AND DIVERSION OF THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND.

PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION. RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.

VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE. RELATED FACTORS WERE: THE HIGH TERRAIN AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.