Mooney M20C N9262M

Summary

On 18 March 2016 at about 20:25 local time, a Mooney M20C registered N9262M, operated by Sabris Corp., was involved in an accident near Wichita, Kansas, 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.

Date

18 March 2016 at 20:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Wichita, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Colonel James Jabara (KAAO)

Coordinates

37.7267, -97.2286

Aircraft

Mooney M20C

Registration

N9262M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Sabris Corp.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dickson → Wichita

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA129

2 people had minor injuries.

The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from the pilot's improper fuel management.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that he conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane and noted that both fuel tanks were full. The pilot then took off for the personal cross-country flight. During approach to landing at the destination airport, the pilot extended the downwind leg due to inbound instrument flight rules traffic. The engine then suddenly lost power, and the pilot conducted a forced landing. An examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. The fuel tank selector was positioned to the left fuel tank, and the electric fuel pump was in the "off" position. No fuel was found in the left tank. There was no smell of fuel, no evidence of fuel spillage, and the fuel tank did not appear to have been breached. Some fuel, about 2 to 3 inches deep, was found in the right fuel tank. If the pilot had switched the fuel selector from the left to the right fuel tank and turned on the electric fuel pump, the engine would not have been starved of fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.