Mooney M20C accident near North Branford, CT
On September 16, 2017, a Mooney M20C (airplane) was involved in an accident near North Branford, CT. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 16, 2017
- Place
- North Branford, CT
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 41.361°N, 72.744°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170916X54424
Official records · ERA17FA327
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 16, 2017, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20C, N53CP, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain near North Branford, Connecticut. The airline transport pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was owned by the pilot who was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed from Robertson Field Airport (4B8), Plainville, Connecticut, and was destined for Francis S. Gabreski Airport (FOK), Westhampton Beach, New York. The pilot departed FOK about 1000 the morning of the accident and flew to 4B8 to pick up his passenger for the subsequent return flight to FOK where the passenger, a NASCAR driver, would be participating in a race at the Riverhead Raceway that afternoon. The pilot and passenger were friends and had been flying together for over 10 years; they and had flown this route many times according to friends. The line service attendant at 4B8 reported that the pilot requested that the airplane's fuel tanks be topped off. The airplane was fueled with 15.8 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline; 9 gallons in the right tank and 6.8 gallons in the left tank. After fueling, the line service attendant witnessed the pilot check the fuel through the fuselage fuel sump, then converse with several other pilots before departing with his passenger about 1230. Review of radar data obtained from the United States Air Force 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron (RADES) revealed radar targ
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as the result of foreign object debris in the fuel selector valve. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's selection of a low cruising altitude, which reduced the available time to troubleshoot the loss of engine power and afforded fewer forced landing site options, and improper maintenance of the airplane, which allowed a portion of a shop
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Browse: Connecticut · Mooney aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
