Mooney M20F N9245V accident near Fullerton, California

Probable cause

The loss of engine power during departure for reasons that could not be determined.

NTSB analysis

While conducting instrument approach training, the pilot flying and a safety pilot requested and received clearance for a VOR approach and landed. After landing, the pilot taxied back for departure.

The pilot reported that, before departing, he checked the fuel quantity indicators and observed about 20 gallons of fuel in the left tank and about 12 gallons in the right tank.

Following departure, the airplane climbed to about 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl) when the engine began to run rough, and the airplane started to descend. As the pilot initiated a left turn back toward the airport, the engine sustained a total loss of power. Realizing that he could not reach the runway, the pilot extended the landing gear and selected a nearby road for an emergency landing. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a light pole, a fire hydrant, and a tree.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The left fuel quantity indicator was found to be inoperative. The fuel selector was found to be positioned to the left tank, which had been breached during the accident sequence and contained no recoverable fuel. About 5 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right fuel tank.

A visual inspection of the fuel system was conducted and continuity was established from the main fuel tanks throughout the system; however, no fuel was observed. The total amount of fuel onboard the airplane and quantity per fuel tank before the flight could not be determined.

Based on the available evidence, it is possible the pilot exhausted the fuel supply in the selected tank and subsequently switched to the opposite tank, which contained insufficient usable fuel to sustain engine operation or allow a successful restart, however, it could not be determined. The available evidence was insufficient to determine whether the engine power loss resulted from fuel exhaustion or fuel starvation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR25LA048 for the full record.