At 16:00 CDT, a Mooney M20J made a forced landing and was damaged following a partial loss of engine power near Mount Pleasant. The two aboard were not injured. The pilot told investigators that he smelled a strong odor of fuel and the fuel pressure dropped to almost zero while he was cruising at 10,500 feet. The pilot diverted toward the Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport with the engine operating at idle. While on final approach to runway 7, he applied throttle to adjust the aircrafts rate of descent but it had no effect. He landed in an open field about -mile short of the runway and nosed over. The pilot said that after exiting the aircraft, he observed fuel leaking from the right fuel tank. Investigators found the fuel tanks empty and noted that the airplanes cabin had the odor of fuel.
July 30, Mount Pleasant, Texas / Mooney M20J
At 16:00 CDT, a Mooney M20J made a forced landing and was damaged following a partial loss of engine power near Mount Pleasant. The two aboard were not injured. The pilot told investigators that he smelled a strong odor of fuel and the fuel pressure dropped to almost zero while he was cruising at 10,500 feet. The pilot diverted toward the Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport with the engine operating at idle. While on final approach to runway 7, he applied throttle to adjust the aircrafts rate of descent but it had no effect. He landed in an open field about -mile short of the runway and nosed over. The pilot said that after exiting the aircraft, he observed fuel leaking from the right fuel ta...
Key Takeaways:
- A Mooney M20J made a forced landing near Mount Pleasant after a partial loss of engine power, with both occupants uninjured despite the aircraft being damaged.
- The pilot reported a strong fuel odor and a drop in fuel pressure to zero at 10,500 feet, leading to engine operation at idle and an unresponsive throttle during the final approach.
- Investigators found the fuel tanks empty and the cabin smelling of fuel, supporting the pilot's observation of a fuel leak after landing, indicating a significant fuel system issue.
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