Accident Overview
On November 3, 2009, at 1720 eastern standard time, a Mooney 20C, registration N6896U, collided with a tree during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Fairview, North Carolina. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight from Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, North Carolina. The airplane was registered to and operated by an individual under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The flight departed INT at about 1609.
Flight and Engine Failure
The pilot reported that approximately 50 minutes into the flight, the engine's power rolled back and the propeller continued to windmill. At that time, the airplane was at an altitude of 8,000 feet mean sea level. The pilot activated the electric fuel pump and switched fuel tanks, but the engine did not regain power. He advised the air traffic controller of the situation and requested vectors to the nearest airport. The pilot configured the airplane for best glide. Realizing the airplane would not reach the intended airport, he elected to land in an open corn field that was divided into two sections by trees. During the landing, the airplane's right wing struck a tree about 50 feet above ground level. The airplane then swung around and impacted the ground nose-first before coming to rest inverted. Rescue personnel extricated the pilot and passenger and transported them to a hospital. The accident site was located about 9 miles east of AVL.
Fuel Management
First responders reported to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector on site that there was no visual indication or odor of fuel at the accident site. The wreckage recovery crew also reported that no fuel was observed during recovery. The pilot stated that the airplane was topped off on October 24, 2009, and that it could hold a total of 52 gallons, with 4 gallons unusable. Since then, the airplane had flown four flights: one of 1.5 hours, another of 1 hour, a local flight of about 40 minutes, and the accident flight of 50 minutes. During his preflight inspection, the pilot visually checked fuel levels, observing the right tank at about 1/4 and the left tank at about 1/2. The engine had accumulated about 120 hours since overhaul, and the pilot believed fuel consumption was about 9 gallons per hour. A representative from the fixed base operator at INT, where the airplane was based, stated that fueling records showed the airplane was serviced with 30 gallons of fuel on October 17, 2009.
Wreckage Examination
An examination by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed no discrepancies with the airplane's fuel system. The airplane's Type Certificate Data Sheets indicate a fuel capacity of 48 gallons usable and about 1/2 gallon unusable, for a total of 48.5 gallons maximum capacity. The Textron Lycoming, 5th edition, Operator's Manual for the O-360 and associated model engines references a fuel consumption of 10.5 gallons per hour at 75% power setting.