On May 28, 1990, a Mooney M20A (registration N8118E) was involved in an aviation accident near Apache Junction, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion because the pilot failed to switch fuel tanks after the engine power loss, while also monitoring the incorrect fuel cell via the quantity gauge. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A Mooney M20 experienced engine power loss during flight, resulting in a forced landing into a gravel pit and substantial aircraft damage.
What happened
The pilot of a Mooney M20 attempted to complete a flight following an initial aborted departure caused by a broken mixture control cable. To address the mechanical issue, the pilot safety wired the carburetor to the full rich position.
During the second takeoff attempt, the fuel tank selector was set to a fuel cell containing only 35 minutes of fuel. The aircraft is equipped with a single fuel quantity gauge that can be switched to monitor only one of the two fuel cells. On this flight, the gauge was set to display the quantity of the other fuel cell, which contained approximately one hour of fuel.
After approximately 30 minutes of flight, the engine lost power. The pilot attributed the loss of power to the previously mentioned discrepancy with the mixture control and did not attempt to switch fuel tanks. The pilot performed an off-airport landing in rough terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft. The pilot was not injured.
Probable cause
The engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion because the pilot failed to switch fuel tanks after the engine power loss, while also monitoring the incorrect fuel cell via the quantity gauge.