Mooney M20A N6004X
2 December 2005 · China Lake, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 2 December 2005 at about 01:20 local time, a Mooney M20A registered N6004X was involved in an accident near China Lake, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. 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 01:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- China Lake, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.6867, -117.6978
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20A
- Registration
- N6004X
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Inyokern
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- LAX06CA050
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and fuel consumption calculations.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane made a hard landing on a road after losing engine power. The flight was the return leg of a long cross-country from Kansas, that included an intermediate refueling stop in New Mexico. The pilot departed the intermediate airport with 49 gallons of fuel on board and thought he had enough fuel to make it to his destination. As the flight neared the destination airport the pilot reported to the TRACON controller that he had a low fuel state. The controller suggested a closer alternate airport. While attempting to land at the alternate airport, the pilot encountered adverse weather conditions including turbulence and crosswinds that exceeded the capabilities of the airplane. He decided instead to make a forced landing on a winding and undulating road. The engine lost power at this point and the pilot switched fuel tanks. The engine restarted for about 20 seconds and then lost power again. The pilot was unable to see the rising road in the darkness and did not perform a flare. The airplane landed hard and came to rest in between the road and a ditch.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 2003 | Mooney M20A | Rockford, Ohio, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 2002 | Mooney M20A | Norman, Oklahoma, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2002 | Mooney M20A | Marysvale, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 21 Mar 2001 | Mooney M20A | Gresham, Oregon, United States | Martin, Glenn H. | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Apr 2000 | Mooney M20A | Houston, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1998 | Mooney M20A | Canyon Creek, Montana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 2005 | Robinson R44 | Lucerne Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 May 2005 | S A Centrair PEGASE 101D | Williams, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2005 | Cessna 172N | Stockton, California, United States | Luis Rivara | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 2005 | Socata TBM 700 | Lancaster, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Dec 2005 | Learjet 35A | Truckee, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Sep 2005 | Robinson R22 | Santa Clarita, California, United States | Orbic Helicopters | No injuries | - |