N5737M – Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K – 2007-02-10 NTSB Accident Report

On February 10, 2007, a Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K (N5737M) was involved in an incident near Ingalls, KS. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and decision making, and failure to refuel while en route, resulting in loss of engine power during cruise due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the poor weather at the pilot's destination.

According to the accident report submitted by the pilot, he was diverting to Dodge City, Kansas (DDC), after attempting an instrument approach to the Garden City Airport. The pilot reported that, "half way to DDC the engine started to sputter again, then quit. I was out of fuel." The pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, both landing gear separated and the step on the right side was bent aft. The bulkhead on the bottom right side of the fuselage was bent. An examination of the airplane's systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed no anomalies.

This incident is documented in NTSB report DEN07CA070. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5737M.