Event NYC95LA092

Factual narrative

On April 23, 1995, at 2155 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N9969X, ditched in Lake Erie after the engine lost power while on approach to Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio. The private pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan, under 14 CFR 91. The flight had departed from Norfolk, Virginia, at 1915. At 2152:24, the pilot transmitted, "lakefront tower six niner xray is experiencing some engine roughness." The pilot was given his choice of runways and chose runway 24R. At 2153:17, the pilot transmitted, "ok the engine seems to have smoothed out i'll overfly the field and come in on six if that's ok now." This was approved. The air traffic controller stated: ...His last transmission was his report overlying the field. I cleared N9969X to land Runway 6L and issued the wind...I watched N9969X turn final for Runway 6L. I saw the aircraft hit the water at the northwest corner of the field near the approach to runway 6L...." In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated: ...As I began to turn final [runway 6], the engine quit altogether. I tried to extend the glide, but as airspeed was dropping through 60 knots, and we were heading for rocks, I turned to the left...retracted the gear, leveled out, and braced for a water landing. The airplane was removed from Lake Erie on April 24. Prior to arrival of the FAA, and without their permission, an insurance adjustor opened fuel lines, and drained water from the fuel tanks. The engine was run briefly by the insurance adjustor. In a written report, the adjustor stated: ...the engine would start, but flood the moment [the] mixture was advanced.... The FAA examined the airplane on April 25. The engine was run again, and in a written report, the FAA stated: ...Engine ran rough and quit when mixture was advanced. Restarted and leaned mixture almost to the point of cutoff, engine ran like a top. There was very little mag drop on the left mag and about 300 RPM on the right. There appeared to be a fuel metering problem.... The fuel metering system, including the servo fuel injector control, fuel manifold valve, injector lines, and injectors were forwarded to Pacific Aeromotive for additional examination. According to their "Incident Investigation Report", dated May 11, 1995, "...Connected unit to flow bench and found operation of unit satisfactory...Flow Divider and all fuel nozzles tested within manufacturer's flow specifications...." THE PILOT WAS APPROACHING THE AIRPORT TO LAND WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. AS HE NEARED THE AIRPORT, THE ROUGHNESS STOPPED. HE THEN ELECTED TO OVERFLY THE AIRPORT AND LAND ON A DIFFERENT RUNWAY. AS THE AIRPLANE TURNED FINAL, THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER AND THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO REACH THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT DITCHED IN THE WATER, AVOIDING A ROCKY AREA NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE ENGINE WAS ROUGH WHEN RAN. THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT, FUEL INJECTORS AND FUEL SERVO WERE CHECKED, AND FOUND TO BE WITHIN THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12