Baltimore-Washington Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Baltimore, Maryland 21240
Thursday, August 13, 1987 18:07 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT REFUELED THE ACFT AT PRINCETON, NJ, BFR DEPARTING ON A FLT TO LINDEN, NJ, THEN CONTINUED ON TO LAUREL, MD. HE BELIEVED THAT HE HAD POSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RGT FUEL TANK & SAID THAT HE HAD USED FUEL OUT OF THE SAME TANK UNTIL HE ARRIVED AT LAUREL. AT LAUREL, THE PLT POSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK, WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS FULL. HE THEN DEPARTED ON A RETURN FLT TO PRINCETON. AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU ABOUT 6000', THE ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT DIVERTED TO THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON ARPT, BUT DID NOT USE THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE TO RESTART THE ENG. HE ARRIVED OVER THE ARPT AT A RELATIVELY HIGH ALT & ELECTED TO CIRCLE TWICE TO DSCND. HOWEVER, HE LOST TOO MUCH ALT & DRG THE FINAL APCH, HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT HIT APCH LIGHTS ABOUT 200' SHORT OF THE RWY. AN EXAM REVEALED THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY, THE RIGHT TANK WAS FULL & THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE EMPTY TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY DRG AN OPNL CHECK.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/13/1987
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1807
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City BALTIMORE
Event State MARYLAND
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 21240
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON
Event Location Nearest Airport ID BWI
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 146
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1800 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID BWI
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
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) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 15
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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) 1144
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 14 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 930
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34507
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6801U
NTSB Number BFO87LA054
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20C
Aircraft Series Identifier M20C
Aircraft Serial Number 2516
Certified Max Gross Weight 2575
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 Jun 12 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 1700
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RAYMOND ROTHSCHILD
Aircraft Owner Street Address 43 AGATE ROAD
Aircraft Owner City EAST BRUNSWICK
Aircraft Owner State NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name RAYMOND ROTHSCHILD
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 43 AGATE RD
Operator City EAST BRUNSWICK
Operator State NJ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 08816
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 W18
Departure City LAUREL
Departure State MD
Departure Country
Departure Time 1745
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 39N
Destination City PRINCETON
Destination State NJ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 28
Runway Length 9452
Runway Width 200
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --