Mooney M20R N9149R

Summary

On 10 May 2011 at about 21:57 local time, a Mooney M20R registered N9149R was involved in an accident near Ravenna, Ohio, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 May 2011 at 21:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Ravenna, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

41.2103, -81.2517

Aircraft

Mooney M20R

Registration

N9149R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Akron → Akron

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11FA340

3 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that the airplane’s engine lost power while in level flight. The pilot reported that he switched fuel tanks and attempted two engine restarts to no avail. A forced landing was attempted, and the airplane’s right wing struck a tree at the edge of the field. Both the pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that the flight began with about 70 gallons of fuel on-board. The pilot reported that about 60 gallons remained (30 gallons in each tank) when the power loss occurred. After the accident, the left wing fuel tank was nearly full, and about 40 gallons of the 44.5 gallons of usable fuel was drained from that tank. There was no fuel in the right tank because it was ruptured and the right wing separated. The fuel selector was found positioned to the right fuel tank. A subsequent examination of the airplane, including a thorough inspection of the airplane’s fuel system, was conducted and no pre-impact anomalies were found. A functional test of the engine was performed, and no defects in operation were noted. The most recent fueling of the airplane was performed during the airplane's annual inspection about 2 months prior to the accident when the airplane was filled with the maximum usable fuel. Based on fuel consumption figures obtained from the engine manufacturer the amount of time recorded on the hour meter, and the engine's performance during the postaccident engine run, it is likely that the fuel supply in the right wing fuel tank was exhausted, which led to the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.