Mooney M20C N1360W

Summary

On 3 November 1997 at about 19:35 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N1360W, operated by Glen Pruet, was involved in an accident near Ozona, Texas, 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.

Date

3 November 1997 at 19:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Ozona, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.6996, -101.2001

Aircraft

Mooney M20C

Registration

N1360W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Glen Pruet

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McKinney → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW98LA042

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's improper planning/decision, which led to fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. A related 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

During a return flight from McKinney to Ozona, TX, the aircraft's engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot had flown the aircraft for 2.4 hours on the flight from Ozona to McKinney on the day before the accident. On the day of the accident, the pilot found that there was no fuel available at the departure airport, therefore he had planned a fuel stop at Abilene, TX. During cruise flight and 'after not encountering anticipated quartering head winds,' the pilot calculated that the time of flight direct to Ozona would be 2.5 hours. He then made the decision to 'continue direct to Ozona.' Approximately 20 miles northeast of Ozona, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a pasture, and during the landing roll, the wings impacted some 'scrubby' trees. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that he had 'run out of fuel.' The pilot also reported that he had flown the same route of flight before without refueling; however, the airplane's engine had been changed, and he had not anticipated the higher fuel burn rate.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.