Accident Overview
On June 28, 2013, at approximately 1625 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20K airplane, registration N5254G, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Hudson, Colorado. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The aircraft was owned and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 for personal travel. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The flight had departed from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC) in Broomfield, Colorado, at 1600.
Sequence of Events
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident, the engine lost power in flight. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field, during which the fuselage and firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not provide a written narrative of the events leading up to the accident.
Post-Accident Examination
The airplane and engine were examined by the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA at a storage facility in Greeley, Colorado. One pint of fuel was recovered from the right wing fuel tank, and 7.5 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left wing fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was positioned to the right fuel tank. No fuel was found in the lines to the engine, including the throttle body to the fuel distribution valve. Further examination revealed that the fuel gauges were inaccurate. An inspection of the airframe and remaining systems found no anomalies.
Aircraft Fuel System
According to the Mooney M20K flight manual found in the airplane, the fuel system has 3 gallons of unusable fuel and 75.6 gallons of usable fuel.