Investigators Look To Fuel Starvation As Possible Cause

An 80-year-old pilot flying home to Los Angeles, CA from Vermont died Tuesday afternoon, after his Mooney M20J crashed in northeastern Ohio.

Investigators at the scene identified the victim as Winston Niver, who was also the owner of the 1987 Mooney. State troopers say Niver's plane (file photo of type, below) crashed as he attempted to make an emergency landing in a cornfield near the town of Smithville.

One witness, an area farmer, told authorities the plane's propeller was idel as the aircraft impacted nose-first in the field -- leading FAA investigators at the scene to look at the possibility fuel starvation may have contributed to the accident.

The NTSB is expected on scene Wednesday.

**   Report created 9/6/2006   Record 1
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 1172U        Make/Model: MO20      Description: M20, M20A/B/C/D/E/F/G/J/L/R/S, M20K/M (T
  Date: 09/05/2006     Time: 1630

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: ORRVILLE   State: OH   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT ON ATTEMPTED LANDING, CRASHED INTO A CORNFIELD, THE ONE PERSON ON
  BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, ORRVILLE, OH

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: BJJ 1653Z 00000KTS 10SM CLR 21/14 A3009

OTHER DATA

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: CLEVELAND, OH  (GL25)                 Entry date: 09/06/2006

FMI: www.faa.gov