Accident Overview
On October 1, 2011, at approximately 1245 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20K, registration N231EB, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Ridgefield, Connecticut. The certificated commercial pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight, which originated at Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR), Danbury, Connecticut, just prior to the accident. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Preparation
According to the pilot, he completed a preflight inspection, which included checking the fuel for contamination and conducting an engine run-up, without any discrepancies noted. He stated that both fuel gauges indicated "about half," corresponding to 14 to 19 gallons in each side, and he also visually confirmed the fuel quantity in each tank. The engine started after two attempts, and the pilot confirmed that all engine indications were normal prior to takeoff.
Accident Sequence
The airplane took off without incident. However, at approximately 1,100 feet mean sea level, when the pilot made a right crosswind turn, the engine lost total power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, was unable to restart the engine, and looked for a place to land. The pilot stated he could not recall his exact actions prior to the forced landing, but he thought that he turned the fuel selector to the "OFF" position, leaned the mixture, and turned the master and ignition switches off. The airplane subsequently struck trees during a forced landing to a residential area. It came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage.
Postaccident Examination
First responders stated that a small amount of fuel, approximately one quart, exited from the left fuel tank. Additionally, a first responder indicated that when he arrived at the accident site, he turned the fuel selector from the left tank position to the off position. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the left fuel tank did not contain any fuel and the right fuel tank contained about eight gallons of fuel. There was no evidence that the fuel tanks had been compromised. No fuel stains were observed on the wings or fuselage, and there was no smell of fuel at the site. A fuel sample was taken from the right tank with no contamination noted.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot reported 502 hours of total flight time, of which 145 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. He accumulated 10 flight hours in the same make and model in the past 90 days. According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1979 and was registered to the pilot in 2007. It was a low-wing, retractable tricycle gear monoplane, equipped with a Continental Motors TSIO-360LB, 210-horsepower engine. The most recent annual inspection was completed on February 10, 2011. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accumulated 2,661 hours of total time in service. According to the pilot's operating handbook (POH), the fuel flow at maximum continuous horsepower was between 22.5 and 24.2 gallons per hour. The total fuel capacity was 78.6 gallons, with 39.3 gallons in each tank. A total of 3 gallons of fuel were unusable, 1.5 gallons in each tank.
Fuel History
The airplane was last fueled on August 27, 2011. According to the fuel slip, line personnel added 12 gallons of fuel to both the left and right fuel tanks, for a total of 24 gallons. The pilot stated that he had the fuel tanks "topped-off" on that day, but the line personnel indicated to an FAA inspector that if a full "top-off" is requested, they write that on the fuel slip. A copy of the fuel slip was obtained, and "top-off" was not written on the slip. According to an FAA inspector, 94 gallons of fuel had been added to the airplane since June 30, 2011, and the airplane had been operated approximately 8.1 hours since that time.
Engine Examination
The airplane was equipped with an Electronics International Fuel Flow Instrument that retained the fuel quantity in electronic memory. On October 4, 2011, FAA inspectors provided oversight while a mechanic applied power to the airplane. When the inspector turned on the master switch, the fuel flow instrument aural warning activated, the fuel low and high/low fuel pressure warning lights blinked, and the fuel quantity read-out was zero. The inspector also heard the fuel boost pumps operating. On November 15, 2011, the engine was examined by two FAA inspectors. The propeller was rotated by hand, and continuity was confirmed to the cylinders, camshaft, push rods, and the accessory drive section. Both magnetos were removed and disassembled with no defects noted. One spark plug was removed from each cylinder, and all were found to be in normal condition. The turbocharger was removed and rotated. The main fuel line from the fuel pump was removed, and no fuel was noted in the line. The fuel lines from the fuel pump to the flow divider were removed with no fuel noted. The fuel lines from the flow divider to the fuel injectors were removed, and a small amount of fuel was noted. The fuel pump was removed, and no defects were noted with the fuel pump drive shaft or gears.
Emergency Procedures
The "Engine Power Loss – After Liftoff and During Climb" emergency procedure contained in the POH stated: 1. Lower Nose, Establish Best Glide Speed. 2. Fuel Selector – Other Tank (Fullest Tank). 3. Throttle – Full Forward. 4. Mixture – Full Rich. 5. Magneto Switch – Both. 6. Propeller – High RPM. 7. Low Boost – On.