On September 5, 1997, a Mooney M20E (registration N9217V) was involved in an aviation accident near Gulf OF CA, PO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot flying to Mexico with four hours of fuel experienced engine failure after two and a half hours in the air, forcing an emergency water landing in the Gulf of California where occupants were rescued.
What happened
The pilot prepared for a flight to Mexico by refueling the aircraft before departure. After topping off the tanks, the pilot confirmed that there were four hours of fuel onboard at the time of takeoff.
During the flight, the engine quit while the aircraft was over the Gulf of California. The pilot estimated that they had been in the air for approximately two hours and 30 minutes when the failure occurred. Following the engine stoppage, the pilot declared a mayday emergency and executed a ditching maneuver in the water.
The aircraft sank immediately upon impact with the water surface and was not recovered by recovery teams. Mexican authorities subsequently located and rescued the occupants from the water.