Mooney M20E accident near Mclain, Mississippi, February 23, 1995
On February 23, 1995 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N7142U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mclain, Mississippi. 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 IMPROPER REASSEMBLY OF THE SERVO FUEL INJECTOR DURING OVERHAUL BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. THIS RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, FORCED LANDING, AND SUBSEQUENT ON-GROUND COLLISION WITH A FIXED OBJECT DURING LANDING ROLL OUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1995 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mclain, Mississippi · map
- 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
- N7142U · registry record · serial 381
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO A HIGHWAY. ON LANDING ROLL OUT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A SIGN. ON SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE FAA, REVEALED THE SERVO FUEL INJECTOR HAD FAILED. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE SERVO FUEL INJECTOR BY THE FAA MANUFACTURING INSPECTION DISTRICT OFFICE, AND THE MANUFACTURER, REVEALED THE OUTER SELF LOCKING NUT ON THE FUEL DIAPHRAGM STEM WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE FUEL REGULATOR, AND THE FUEL REGULATOR TRAVELED TO THE NO FUEL FLOW SETTING. THE SERVO FUEL INJECTOR WAS OVERHAULED ON JANUARY 31, 1995.
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: 245 hours in all; 111 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 245 as pilot in command; 60 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,449 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 1995; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HBG Hattiesburg MS at 9:30 pm
- Destination: BFM Mobile AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:04 pm from MOB, 41 miles away
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.