Mooney M20 Safety Record

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES PROHIBITING NIGHT OPERATIONS AT THE AIRPORT AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER GLIDEPATH. THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION WAS A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.

THE PILOT'S INNACURATE PREFLIGHT FUEL CONSUPTION CALCULATIONS AND INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISIONS, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPERLY PLANNED APPROACH AND THE RESULTANT OVERSHOOT OF THE INTENDED LANDING AREA. FACTORS WERE THE PARTIAL POWER LOSS DUE TO INTERNAL CORROSION, AND THE INADVERTENT STALL.

1) THE CARBURETOR INLET FUEL LINE BEING IMPROPERLY INSTALLED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHICH ALLOWED THE CARBURETOR TO BECOME CONTAMINATED WITH METAL PARTICLES, AND 2) THE CARBURETOR FLOAT VALVE BEING JAMMED BY METAL PARTICLES WHICH ALLOWED EXCESSIVE FUEL TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE CARBURETOR RESULTING IN FLOODING AND THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT ENCOUNTERING AN UNFAVORABLE CROSSWIND DURING FINAL APPROACH WHICH LED TO THE AIRPLANE'S WING COLLIDING WITH FENCE POSTS DURING LANDING ROLL.

THE PILOT FUELED THE AIRCRAFT WITH JET FUEL INSTEAD OF AVAITION GASOLINE. FACTORS WERE THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED DURING THE FORCED LANDING AND THE DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S NOT MAINTAINING THE PROPER RATE OF DESCENT AND NOT MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND SEPARATION OF THE NOSE GEAR STRUT AND OVERLOAD OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR STRUT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: WEATHER CONDITIONS: TAILWIND AND DOWNDRAFT, AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY.

THE LOSS OF THE SPARK PLUG AT A CRITICAL POINT IN FLIGHT WHICH RESULTED FROM THE INADEQUATE OVERHAUL OF THE ENGINE BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON; AND THE INADVERTENT STALL OF THE AIRPLANE WHEN THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. A FACTOR WAS THE HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS (TREES) WHICH BOUNDED THE RUNWAY DEPARTURE THRESHOLD.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT DURING THE LANDING AND GO-AROUND (ABORTED LANDING). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE AND IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN A PORPOISE.

FAILURE OF THE PISTON RINGS WHICH REDUCED THE AVAILABLE ENGINE POWER, AND THE PILOT'S CONTINUED OPERATION OF HIS AIRPLANE WITH A KNOWN ENGINE DEFICIENCY DURING THE RELATIVELY HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO PROPERLY MANAGE THE AIRCRAFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATION AND FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE BY SWITCHING FUEL TANKS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS IMPROPER MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY THE PILOT WHICH DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION FROM THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.

THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE. RELATED FACTORS WERE: DARKNESS AND PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE LIGHTING SYSTEM.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT INCLUDE THE PILOT OVERSHOOTING THE APPROACH & LANDING DUE TO MISJUDGING HIS AIRSPEED & DISTANCE, AND A DELAYED GO-AROUND.

IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, IMPROPERLY SECURED OIL LINE TO THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR, FAILURE OF THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR OIL LINE, AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF OIL, WHICH RESULTED IN OIL EXHAUSTION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO FOLLOW THE SERVICE BULLETIN/INSTRUCTION, AND THE TREE AND ROUGH TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WHEN TROUBLESHOOTING SURGING FUEL PRESSURE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS SNOW CONDITIONS WHICH IMPAIRED THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO MAKE A PROPER FORCED LANDING.