Mooney M20B accident near Loa, Utah, October 14, 2002
On October 14, 2002 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20B, registered N74530, was substantially damaged in an accident near Loa, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent placement of the fuel selector position in the off position. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2002 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Loa, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20B · all M20Bs on the register
- Registration
- N74530 · no longer on the register · serial 1841
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that the engine "just quit," and he suspected it was fuel related. He said he had moved his seat aft to retrieve something off the back seat. A recovery crew noted that the fuel shut-off valve, located under the pilot's seat, was between the "right" and "off" positions. The right wing tank was empty, as it had been ripped open by a rock, and approximately 10 to 11 gallons of fuel was drained out of the unbreached left wing tank. The pilot said he had recently purchased the airplane and had logged 21 hours of flight time, 19 of which he had logged in the 90 days prior to the accident.
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: 454 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 424 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 8, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,180 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, August 22, 2002; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-AID (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 38U Loa UT
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KBCE, 61 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.