Mooney M20C accident near Charleston, South Carolina, March 1, 1992
On March 1, 1992 at about 9:14 pm local time, a Mooney M20C, registered N6748U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charleston, South Carolina. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE BLOCKED FUEL VENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 1992 · about 9:14 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6748U · no longer on the register · serial 2470
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE FUEL TANKS, AFTER HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE ENGINE REGAINED POWER FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEN LOST POWER AGAIN. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A GROUP OF SMALL TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY, AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE FOURTH FULL. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING TANK FUEL VENT WAS BLOCKED BY NESTING DIRT DAUBERS, AND AIR COULD NOT BE FORCED THROUGH THE VENT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 683 hours in all; 660 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 583 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,192 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 1991; 136 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,525 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7NCO Bayboro NC at 7:50 pm
- Destination: 8S5 Mt. Pleasant SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from CHS, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.