Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Apache Junction, Arizona 85217
Monday, May 28, 1990 12:42 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A MOONEY M20 COLLIDED WITH A GRAVEL PIT DURING THE LANDING ROLL AFTER A FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT. THE FIRST ATTEMPT WAS ABORTED DUE TO THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE BREAKING. THE PILOT SAFETY WIRED THE CARBURETOR TO THE FULL RICH POSITION. WHEN THE PILOT TOOK OFF THE SECOND TIME HE HAD FUEL TANK SELECTOR SWITCHED TO A FUEL CELL WITH ONLY THIRTY FIVE MINUTES OF FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WHICH IS SWITCHABLE TO READ THE QUANTITY IN ONLY ONE OF THE FUEL CELLS. THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE WAS SWITCHED TO READ THE FUEL QUANTITY OF THE OTHER FUEL CELL, WHICH CONTAINED ABOUT ONE HOUR OF FUEL. AFTER ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES OF FLIGHT THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT THOUGHT THE POWER LOSS WAS RELATED TO THE DISCREPANCY WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL. HE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO SWITCH TANKS. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN ROUGH TERRAIN RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO PROPERLY MANAGE THE AIRCRAFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATION AND FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE BY SWITCHING FUEL TANKS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS IMPROPER MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY THE PILOT WHICH DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION FROM THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/28/1990
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1242
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City APACHE JUNCTION
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 85217
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 5
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
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 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 5
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 25
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1368
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 28 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42679
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:58PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8118E
NTSB Number LAX90LA197
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 M20A
Aircraft Series Identifier M20A
Aircraft Serial Number 1389
Certified Max Gross Weight 2450
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 18 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 59
Airframe Hours 3317
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DUARD R. HARNAGEL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1209 N. 87TH ST.
Aircraft Owner City SCOTTSDALE
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 85257
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code P13
Departure City GLOBE
Departure State AZ
Departure Country
Departure Time 1215
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code FFZ
Destination City MESA
Destination State AZ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --