Mooney M20E accident near Winnsboro, South Carolina, July 3, 2007
On July 3, 2007 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Mooney M20E, registered N7837V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winnsboro, South Carolina. It was an instructional 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
A loss of engine power due to contamination within the fuel injector servo, which was not detected during a recent inadequate annual inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2007 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winnsboro, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20E · all M20Es on the register
- Registration
- N7837V · no longer on the register · serial 459
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A certified flight instructor (CFI) was flying with a commercial pilot who was receiving dual flight instruction towards a flight instructor certificate. After practicing a simulated engine failure, the airplane was in cruise flight at an altitude of 2,200 feet msl, when the engine rpm suddenly dropped to 800 rpm. The CFI was not able to restore engine power, and performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane's left wing struck a tree stump and was substantially damaged. During a post-accident test run, the engine ran rough, with intermittent surges. After the fuel injector servo was removed and a replacement installed, the engine ran smoothly through 2,500 rpm. Subsequent examination of the fuel injector servo revealed that the fuel inlet screen had more than 50 percent of its exterior surface covered in light brown corrosion/contamination, and two-thirds of the inlet fitting was blocked by debris. In addition, contamination was noted throughout the fuel servo. The airplane had been operated for about 5 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 3 months prior to the accident. The airplane manufacture's annual inspection guidelines included inspecting the fuel injection system, and cleaning the screens per the engine manufacturer's recommendations.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 14,800 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,117 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,575 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CAE Columbia SC at 6:45 pm
- Destination: FDW Winnsboro SC
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from CAE, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.