Mooney M20R N13LV

Summary

On 25 June 2023 at about 20:20 local time, a Mooney M20R registered N13LV was involved in an accident near Southport, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 June 2023 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Southport, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Cape Fear Regional Jetport (SUT)

Coordinates

33.9426, -78.0625

Aircraft

Mooney M20R

Registration

N13LV

Category

Airplane

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → North Myrtle Beach

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23FA273

1 person died.

The pilot’s improper decision to fly a known unairworthy airplane, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to oil starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was picking up his airplane following unfinished maintenance. Witnesses reported excessive white exhaust smoke and oil leaking from the airplane onto the ground as the pilot taxied it from the mechanic’s hangar to the runway for takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported an engine failure on the common traffic advisory frequency and that he was returning to the runway; however, the airplane impacted a residential area about 1/2-mile before the runway threshold and a postimpact fire ensued. The airplane had been in for maintenance for 8 months. The private pilot/owner had requested that the mechanic troubleshoot interior lighting, service the brakes, attach a standby vacuum hose, and repair an exhaust leak. The mechanic could not complete the work as he could not start and run up the engine due to dead batteries. When he inspected the batteries, he realized that they were unairworthy. Specifically, the airplane was designed with a 24-volt electrical system that utilized two 24-volt batteries; however, the mechanic found four 12-volt batteries installed. When the mechanic contacted the pilot about the discrepancy, the pilot instructed him to reinstall the four 12-volt batteries. The mechanic refused, as it would have been an unapproved and unairworthy installation. The pilot then stated that he wanted his airplane back. The mechanic told him that the airplane was unairworthy, as he had not completed repairs on it; he also noted that it was unairworthy on the invoice. The wreckage came to rest on its right side and oil streaks were noted on the underside of the empennage. The engine came to rest inverted, and the propeller remained attached to the engine. An oil sump accessory port plug was observed loose, with oily blue stained baffling material resting below it. Additionally, the No. 4 connecting rod had protruded through the top of the engine case. A check of the oil dipstick revealed no measurable oil in the engine. The engine likely failed due to oil starvation as the oil leaked from a loose oil sump accessory port plug as a result of uncompleted maintenance work.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.