Mooney M20K N3983H
13 October 1995 · Dalton, Georgia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 13 October 1995 at about 23:32 local time, a Mooney M20K registered N3983H was involved in an accident near Dalton, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:32
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Dalton, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Dalton Municipal (DNN)
- Coordinates
- 34.7605, -84.9702
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K
- Registration
- N3983H
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Marietta → Rockford
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- ATL96LA005
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Oil starvation for an unknown reason, which resulted in progressive connecting rod failure and subsequent loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident were: the unfavoable weather and light conditions (low ceiling and fog at dusk), which hampered the pilot in seeing the runway during the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that during a climb through about 7,000 feet msl, the engine manifold pressure dropped to about 22 inches, and the engine oil pressure dropped to zero. He advised ATC that he would need to execute an emergency landing. During an emergency instrument landing procedure at dusk, he was unable to land on the intended runway, and the airplane impacted the terrain. Examination of the aircraft revealed old oil stains on the underside of the aircraft from the engine cowling trailing to the tail. Examination of the engine revealed that the number one and two connecting rods had failed as a result of thermal stretching and breaking of the rod bolts. No (new) oil leakage path was observed during the examination to indicate that the engine was leaking oil at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20K accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 1995 | Mooney M20K | Roundup, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Apr 1995 | Mooney M20K | Tangier Island, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Apr 1995 | Mooney M20K | Marshfield, Massachusetts, United States | William H. Eilberg | No injuries | - |
| 21 Apr 1996 | Mooney M20K | West Milford, New Jersey, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 1994 | Mooney M20K | Applegate, Oregon, United States | Hicks, ROY H. | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 May 1994 | Mooney M20K | Swanton, Ohio, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb 1995 | Cessna 172K | Wrightsville, Georgia, United States | George Conley | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 1995 | Yothment KOLB-FIRESTAR II | Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 1995 | Cessna 170 | Hartwell, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 1995 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Plains, Georgia, United States | Gosa's Aerial AG | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 1995 | Douglas DC-9-32 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Dec 1995 | Navion D | Canton, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |