Accident Details
On August 3, 2009, at approximately 1700 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20F, registration N3549N, executed a forced landing and subsequently collided with trees near Suffolk, Virginia. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, while the two passengers were uninjured. The aircraft was substantially damaged by impact forces. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight had originated from Suffolk Executive Airport at 1630.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that he departed with approximately one-quarter tank of fuel in each of the left and right main fuel tanks. After flying for about one hour, he began "buzzing" his house, performing a series of sharp banks during which the engine lost power. He executed an emergency forced landing onto a road, and during the rollout, the airplane struck a tree.
Examination Findings
An inspection by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions of the airframe or flight control systems. Examination of the fuel system showed that both main fuel tanks were empty and had not been breached. The main fuel tank quantity indicators were placarded as inoperative. The aircraft was equipped with electronic fuel quantity indicators, model Electronics International FL 2RA-12.
When the battery master switch was turned on, the electronic indicator displayed inconsistent readings when toggled through its positions. For example, toggling to "left" showed 23.0 gallons with the left LED illuminated above the half mark and the right LED red for zero; toggling to "right" and back to "left" showed 16.5 gallons with the left LED on the half mark and the right LED on yellow. Similar inconsistencies were observed when switching to "total" or "right" positions, with the right side occasionally displaying 4.5 gallons.
The operating and installation instructions for the Dual Fuel Level (FL-2) instrument stated: "Do not solely rely on the FL-2 to determine the fuel levels in the fuel tanks." The instructions also required a placard on the instrument panel near the FL-2 reading: "Do not solely rely on the fuel levels instrument to determine the fuel levels in the aircraft." Examination of the engine by the FAA inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction.