Mooney M20C accident near Lonoke County, Arkansas, January 17, 2015
On January 17, 2015 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1962 Mooney M20C, registered N6474U, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lonoke County, Arkansas. It was a personal 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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 2015 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lonoke County, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20C, built 1962 · all M20Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6474U · no longer on the register · serial 2221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, before departure, he conducted an engine run-up, and everything was in the normal operating range. The pilot then departed, and, shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted trees and then came to rest on its belly. Examination of the airplane revealed that no fuel was visible in the right fuel tank and that about 1/2 inch of fuel was visible in the left fuel tank. The carburetor's float bowl was empty of fuel. The carburetor heat and mixture control cables were broken, and they were not attached to their respective points. The end of the mixture control cable was found wrapped around the attachment's bolt to connect it to the mixture control arm. The mixture control arm was removed from the carburetor; the spring under the control arm appeared intact. The cable's break, located under the bolt head, had both a dull and a shiny section, indicating that it may have been partially fractured for some time. A broken mixture control cable or an inadequate fuel supply can cause a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during takeoff
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Mixture control › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lonoke County AR
- Destination: Lonoke County AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:58 pm from KLEF, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.