Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lakeport, California 93453
Friday, August 8, 1997 11:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft was in the shop to have the left fuel tank resealed. During the tank sealing procedure, all fuel was drained from the left tank. After the work was completed, the pilot/mechanic departed on a test flight to return the aircraft to service without refueling the left tank. The pilot stated he was positive the fuel selector was positioned for the right tank, which was nearly full. Engine start, taxi, run-up, and the takeoff were normal. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and the pilot could not return to the runway. The aircraft was landed in a field, and it sustained substantial wing damage. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the aircraft. He reported that the left tank was completely empty and that abundant fuel was present in the right tank. The fuel line into the distributor manifold was loosened, and the electric fuel pump was energized; air came out of the line at first, followed by a steady stream of fuel. The line was then reconnected. Using the aircraft systems and right tank fuel, the engine was then started, and it operated satisfactorily.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate preflight by failing to ensure that the fuel selector was positioned to a tank containing fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation, and a forced landing shortly after takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/8/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1115 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAKEPORT |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93453 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1259 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 8 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1540 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N321RM |
| NTSB Number | LAX97LA282 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mooney |
| Aircraft Model | M20K |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20K |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 25-0230 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RON L. DONA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4751 KATHYWOOD CT |
| Aircraft Owner City | FAIROAKS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95628 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | LAKEPORT AEROSTYLING & REPAIR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4725 HIGHLAND SPRINGS ROAD |
| Operator City | LAKEPORT |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 93453 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 1O2 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1113 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |