Mooney M20J N4478H
3 April 1995 · Tijeras, New Mexico, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 3 April 1995 at about 01:30 local time, a Mooney M20J registered N4478H was involved in an accident near Tijeras, New Mexico, 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 01:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tijeras, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.0803, -106.3695
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J
- Registration
- N4478H
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Las Vegas → Fort Huachuca
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- FTW95LA153
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO FOREIGN MATERIAL PARTIALLY BLOCKING THE FUEL SCREEN, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, THEN LOST ALL POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE POWER, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HE COULD NOT REMEMBER IF HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. HE MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A PARKED CAR. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND POSITIONED ON THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE LEFT FUEL TANK FINGER SCREEN WAS FOUND TO BE BLOCKED BY GREEN LEAVES. THE ENGINE OPERATED SUCCESSFULLY AT FULL POWER AFTER THE FUEL SCREEN WAS CLEANED AND REINSTALLED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20J accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Dec 1995 | Mooney M20J | Bay Minette, Alabama, United States | James D. Brower | Fatal | 2 |
| 19 Jul 1995 | Mooney M20J | Crawford, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 Apr 1995 | Mooney M20J | Kirksville, Missouri, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 1995 | Mooney M20J | Cleveland, Ohio, United States | Dennis W. Marek | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Mar 1995 | Mooney M20J | Pacoima, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 1995 | Mooney M20J | Belmar, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Mimbres, New Mexico, United States | Bartelett Aviation | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1995 | Thunder and Colt AX7-77 | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1995 | Cessna 152 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1995 | Cessna 421C | El Prado, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 22 Oct 1995 | Beechcraft 95 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1995 | Piper PA-32-260 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |