Mooney M20E accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 3, 2000
On August 3, 2000 at about 3:26 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N6927U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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
Fuel exhaustion and the pilot's failure the refuel the airplane. Factors were the road signs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2000 · about 3:26 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N6927U · registry record · serial 297
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power shortly after takeoff. The pilot made a forced landing on a street and during the landing roll, the airplane struck road signs, damaging both wings. The pilot told FAA inspectors that he had departed Albuquerque International Sunport with half-full fuel tanks, and had flown to Santa Fe and Los Alamos, New Mexico. From there, he flew to Double Eagle II Airport. He did not purchase fuel at either airport. When the inspectors examined the airplane at the accident site, they found the left tank was 'bone dry' and only 'residual' fuel could be detected in the right tank. The airplane has a fuel capacity of 52 gallons.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,288 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,238 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,506 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AEG Albuquerque NM at 3:20 pm
- Destination: ABQ Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 13,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from ABQ
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.