Summary
On July 18, 2004, a Mooney M20C (N6773U) was involved in an incident near Escalante, UT. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The improper installation of an oil pan quick-drain fitting resulting in the loss of engine oil, failure of the engine, and subsequent impact with terrain following an attempted forced landing. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
On July 17, 2004, at approximately 1900 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20C, N6773U, operated by EPM AV Corp., was substantially damaged following a loss of engine power when it impacted terrain during a forced landing to a sand bar near the Escalante River, approximately 15 nautical miles east of Escalante, Utah. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan.
This incident is documented in NTSB report DEN04LA105. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6773U.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the improper installation of an oil pan quick-drain fitting resulting in the loss of engine oil, failure of the engine, and subsequent impact with terrain following an attempted forced landing. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On July 17, 2004, at approximately 1900 mountain daylight time, a Mooney M20C, N6773U, operated by EPM AV Corp., was substantially damaged following a loss of engine power when it impacted terrain during a forced landing to a sand bar near the Escalante River, approximately 15 nautical miles east of Escalante, Utah. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight originated at Escalante, at approximately 1835.
The pilot stated that approximately 25 minutes into the flight, the engine began to run rough and shake "violently." A few moments later, blue smoke came out of the engine cowling and filled the cabin. The pilot shut down the engine, and attempted a forced landing on an exposed sand bar adjacent to the Escalante River. When the airplane impacted the sand bar, the nose landing gear and both main landing gear assemblies collapsed, substantially damaging the airplane's firewall and both wings.
According to the pilot, an engine examination revealed that the brass quick-drain fitting that was installed in the engine's oil pan, became unscrewed and fell out. The quick-drain fitting was not secured with safety wire.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DEN04LA105