Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K accident near Georgetown, Delaware, May 18, 2014
On May 18, 2014 at about 1:59 pm local time, a 1979 Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K, registered N200DP, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Georgetown, Delaware (Sussex County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper preflight planning and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Also causal to the accident was the pilot’s failure to see and avoid the wires on the airport boundary.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2014 · about 1:59 pm local time
- Place
- Georgetown, Delaware · Sussex County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney Aircraft CORP. M20K, built 1979
- Registration
- N200DP · registry record · serial 25-0090
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on the 40-mile flight with an unknown quantity of fuel onboard the airplane, but he estimated that it had about 10 gallons more than he thought was needed for the flight. While maneuvering to land, he increased the engine power twice, but the engine did not respond. He anticipated that the airplane could land on the airport property; however, the airplane struck wires and terrain short of the runway. Seven gallons of fuel were recovered from the 78.6-gallon fuel system, of which 3 gallons were unusable. The amount of fuel recovered from each tank could not be determined, and which tank the pilot had selected at the time of the loss of engine power could also not be determined. However, after the accident, the pilot reported that data from the airplane's engine monitor revealed that the fuel flow stopped 60 seconds before the propeller stopped. He added that he probably should have purchased fuel before his departure and that, if he had it to do over, he would. After replacing the damaged propeller with a slave propeller and adding 5 gallons of fuel in each wing tank, an engine test run was conducted; the engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption throughout the test.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2013
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OBI Woodbine NJ at 1:35 pm
- Destination: GED Georgetown DE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from KGED
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA14LA242.