Mooney M20A N6534B
18 October 1998 · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 18 October 1998 at about 15:00 local time, a Mooney M20A registered N6534B was involved in an accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. 3 people were 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 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20A
- Registration
- N6534B
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW99LA010
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as result of the pilot's improper placement of the fuel tank selector switch. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the pilot to execute the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The engine lost power soon after departing from runway 35 at an altitude of 400 to 500 feet AGL. The pilot was aware during the preflight inspection that the left main fuel cell was 3/4 full and the right tank was very low on fuel. Prior to takeoff, the pilot inadvertently switched the fuel selector to the right fuel tank. The pilot assumed that the engine had malfunctioned and did not switch the fuel selector to the fullest tank. The 400 hour pilot landed the airplane in an open pasture with the landing gear extended. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a terrace, collapsing the landing gear. According to local law enforcement personnel that responded to the accident site, the pilot reported that 'the airplane ran out of fuel;' however, the left main fuel cell was approximately 3/4 full. The pilot added that the 1959 vintage airplane was equipped with a single fuel gauge controlled by a two-position toggle switch for both fuel cells.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun 1998 | Mooney M20A | Canyon Creek, Montana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Aug 1998 | Mooney M20A | Marathon, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 1997 | Mooney M20A | White Bear, Minnesota, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Apr 2000 | Mooney M20A | Houston, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 1995 | Mooney M20A | Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 2001 | Mooney M20A | Gresham, Oregon, United States | Martin, Glenn H. | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jan 1998 | Cessna 340A | Bethany, Oklahoma, United States | Sierra Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 1998 | Cessna 340 | Wagoner, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jan 1998 | Piper PA-28R-201T | Lone Grove, Oklahoma, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 1998 | Piper PA-22-108 | Frederick, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Feb 1998 | Cessna 152 | Norman, Oklahoma, United States | Airman Flight School | No injuries | - |
| 1 Mar 1998 | Cessna 172K | Marietta, Oklahoma, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |