On March 17, 1996, a Mooney M20C (registration N78896) was involved in an aviation accident near Kingston, TN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate pre-flight inspection, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
The pilot reported engine power loss at 2,000 feet AGL shortly after departure from Meadow Lake. A forced landing in a field resulted in striking a utility building. Postcrash inspection revealed no fuel in the right tank and only residual fuel in the left tank, while the right fuel gauge indicated full.
Incident Details
The pilot stated that he had just departed Meadow Lake and was in cruise flight at approximately 2,000 feet above ground level when the aircraft engine lost power. He attempted to execute a forced landing in a field, during which the aircraft struck a utility building.
Postcrash Examination
An initial postcrash inspection revealed that the airplane was intact and the fuel tanks did not appear to be compromised. The fuel tanks were examined: the right fuel tank contained no fuel, and the left fuel tank contained a small amount of residual fuel. The fuel gauges were also inspected; the right fuel quantity indicator showed full, despite there being no fuel in the airplane.
Pilot Actions
The pilot stated that he did not perform a complete walk around of the airplane before the flight, nor did he visibly check the fuel quantity. He relied solely on the fuel gauges as a reference for fuel quantity and believed he had 26 gallons on board before takeoff.