Mooney M20K incident near Klamath Falls, Oregon, March 12, 1998
On March 12, 1998 at about 3:57 am local time, a Mooney M20K, registered N3556H, suffered minor damage in an incident near Klamath Falls, Oregon (Klamath Falls Intnl airport). 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 pilot's inadequate preflight which failed to detect water contaminated fuel that subsequently led to fuel icing at altitude, blockage of fuel lines which resulted in fuel starvation. A related factor was the dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 1998 · about 3:57 am local time
- Place
- Klamath Falls, Oregon · Klamath Falls Intnl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N3556H · registry record · serial 25-0421
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the aircraft was parked outdoors during the winter months, and it was not flown much. He flew the airplane 3 days prior to the accident flight. During that preflight he reported, 'a puddle of water (smell & taste tested) under the aircraft low point - unusual because the tarmac was dry.' He 'drained the fuel lines using the gascolator without testing, but tested all four tanks.' He stated that the right tanks tested fine but he found 'an estimated total of a gallon of water from the two left tanks.' The flight with a fuel stop was uneventful. On the day of the accident, he pre-flighted the aircraft and 'drained about 1/2 cup of water from the left side'. The first leg of the trip was flown at 12,000 feet MSL, and he refueled. The aircraft then departed, and the flight was cleared to climb to flight level 240. He reported the outside air temperature as -27 degrees Celsius. Shortly thereafter, he noticed a little engine roughness. He executed a number of trouble shooting procedures attempting to correct the problem without success. Approximately 5-7 miles from the airport the engine ceased developing power. He then executed a forced landing under dark night conditions to an unlighted landing site. He stated that 'in the end, I just descended into total blackness.' Examination of the airplane after the accident by an FAA Inspector revealed several ounces of water drained from the left wing tank. No anomalies were noted that would have precluded operation.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 891 hours in all; 307 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 774 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,444 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 22, 1997; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAC Sacramento CA at 2:00 am
- Destination: BFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:02 am from LMT, 1 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.