Mooney M20F N3549N
3 August 2009 · Suffolk, Virginia, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 3 August 2009 at about 21:00 local time, a Mooney M20F registered N3549N, operated by RG Rentals Ltd, was involved in an accident near Suffolk, Virginia, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously 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 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Suffolk (SFQ)
- Coordinates
- 36.6761, -76.6011
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20F
- Registration
- N3549N
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- RG Rentals Ltd
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Suffolk → Suffolk
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- ERA09LA441
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s failure to accurately calculate the fuel required for the flight. Contributing to the accident was a malfunction of the fuel quantity indicators.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that he departed with ¼ tank of fuel in the right and left fuel tanks. He said that he was flying around for approximately an hour before he began "buzzing" his house. The engine then lost power and he made an emergency forced landing on a road when, during rollout, the airplane collided with a tree. Examination of the fuel system revealed that both fuel tanks were empty and were not breached. Further examination revealed that the airplane was equipped with electronic fuel quantity indicators. Examination of the electronic fuel indicators revealed that both indicators were not functioning correctly. Review of the Dual Fuel Level (FL-2) operating and installation instructions stated: "do not solely rely on the FL-2 to determine the fuel levels in the fuel tanks." Examination of the airframe and engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mooney M20F accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 2009 | Mooney M20F | Warwickshire, United Kingdom | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 2009 | Mooney M20F | Palm Springs, California, United States | Robert Hutchinson | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2010 | Mooney M20F | Lubbock, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 2008 | Mooney M20F | Ridgeland, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Nov 2010 | Mooney M20F | Copake, New York, United States | John B Welch | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Jul 2010 | Mooney M20F | Cottonwood, Arizona, United States | Deano L. Jacobs | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jul 2009 | Piper PA28 | Blacksburg, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Apr 2009 | Flight CTSW | Chesapeake, Virginia, United States | Chesapeake Aviation Services | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2009 | De Havilland DHC-6 TWIN | Orange, Virginia, United States | Skydive Factory Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Dec 2009 | Czech Aircraft Works SPORTCRUISER | Suffolk, Virginia, United States | Tidewater Flight Center | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 2009 | Piper PA28 | Lebanon, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2009 | Cessna 150H | Lawrenceville, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |