Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Amisville, Virginia 20106
Saturday, March 3, 2012 14:40 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, the airplane was cruising in smooth, clear air at 9,000 feet. About 30 minutes from the destination airport, the pilot descended the airplane to 5,000 feet and into moderate-to-severe turbulence. The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot pushed the throttle forward, which activated the airplane's fuel boost pump and positioned the mixture to full rich, but the engine did not regain power. The pilot stated that each fuel tank was half-full at the time. He further stated that he did not switch tanks as he was preoccupied with where to land the airplane. The pilot thought the right fuel tank was selected when the power loss occurred, but he could not be certain. Due to mountainous terrain, the pilot could not glide the airplane to an airport, and he performed a forced landing to a field.
The pilot didn't believe the loss of engine power was a mechanical failure as there was no engine roughness preceding the event. He believed that it was a fuel or air issue, possibly related to the severe turbulence that he had descended into. The airplane did not fly through any clouds or precipitation during the descent or prior to the power loss. Postcrash fire consumed a majority of the wreckage, including the cockpit and wing fuel tanks, which precluded an examination of the fuel and induction systems. The fuel selector was identified and observed in the left main fuel tank position, but the preimpact position of the fuel selector could not be positively determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because of the damage due to the postcrash fire.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1440 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Amisville |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 20106 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 384830N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0780438W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1435 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CJR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 316 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.61 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30217 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 9 2012 12:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N486KC |
| NTSB Number | ERA12LA206 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 27-0288 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Sep 1 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 60 |
| Airframe Hours | 1155 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CRATHERN C F H |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | HOPKINTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | NH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 03229-2538 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Charles Crathern |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | HOPKINTON |
| Operator State | NH |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 03229-2538 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | GGE |
| Departure City | Georgetown |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HGR |
| Destination City | Hagerstown |
| Destination State | MD |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 2 2012 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |