Mooney M20 N7118U

Summary

On 2 May 2017 at about 23:30 local time, a Mooney M20 registered N7118U, operated by Smooth Blue Inc., was involved in an accident near Olathe, Kansas, United States. 3 people were on board and one 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

2 May 2017 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Olathe, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Johnson County Executive (OJC)

Coordinates

38.8464, -94.7375

Aircraft

Mooney M20

Registration

N7118U

Category

Airplane

Year built

1964

Engines

1

Operator

Smooth Blue Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Olathe → Manhattan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA260

1 person had minor injuries.

The separated fuel tank selector knob roll pin, which prevented the fuel selector from moving to the fuel tank position for the tank with usable fuel and resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the initial climb, about 1,000 ft above the ground, he "saw the engine power winding down." He added that he "turned on" the boost pump, checked the magnetos and fuel mixture, and then switched the fuel selector to the other fuel tank. The engine experienced a total loss of power and then impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that he traveled to the accident, and while on-site, he observed that the fuel selector knob set screw was loose and that the knob turned freely on the shaft. The set screw doesn’t keep the knob keyed; it just stops it from coming off. A roll pin keeps the shaft in position and was observed in the selector well. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.