Mooney M20J accident near Mount Pleasant, Texas, July 30, 1999
On July 30, 1999 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N91FH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mount Pleasant, Texas (Mount Pleasant Municipal airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the fuel line fitting as a result of fatigue. A factors was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1999 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Pleasant, Texas · Mount Pleasant Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N91FH · registry record · serial 243214
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight at 10,500 feet msl, the pilot smelled a strong odor of fuel, and observed that the fuel pressure gauge needle had dropped almost to zero. The pilot switched fuel tanks and turned on the electric fuel pump. This did not increase the fuel pressure, and a strong odor of fuel persisted. The pilot initiated a forced landing to the nearest airport, but landed in an open field 1/4 mile short of the runway and subsequently, impacted a fence. Examination of the fuel system after the accident revealed that the fuel hose that ran between the fuel pump and the fuel injector servo was disengaged from the coupling at the fuel pump. Examination of the coupling revealed that a portion of the first thread was separated as a result of fatigue.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,078 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,078 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1999; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2H2 Aurora MO at 7:00 pm
- Destination: DWH Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,836 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from PRX, 39 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.
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 FTW99LA206.