Mooney in Oz

If your engine is hot after a long taxi and/or a long wait at the holding point, it is not uncommon for a fuel injected Lycoming IO360 to experience popping type sounds due to high temperature fuel vaporising in the fuel lines. This is more common on hot days, but can also happen on cooler days if the engine has been operating on the ground long enough. It is normal IO360 behaviour.

Happy New Year everyone from Downunder

I still have mine that was given to me by Susan Harrison from Mooney Sales back in 2008 during the Acclaim sales tour in Australia, when I had the privilege of flying the Acclaim with @donkaye, MCFI. Where has the past 17 years gone?

This ^^^^^ IMHO the AFMS has much more important info than the PG and is essential reading. A runaway trim is the first and only item in the Emergency Procedures with the first few lines in bold print indicating the lines that should be committed to memory and the sequence to follow. It also contains other useful and need to know information, such as limitations. I also have my Autopilot CB red collared. Don’t get it confused with the Trim CB. A Pitch Trim failure is a separate, non-memory item that is also covered.

Although I didn’t know Erik, it saddens me to read this. He came across as one of the nicest contributors to MS. Taken too young

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/563705 Strong winds reported at the closest wx station. Coupled with the engine failure, it would have been a frightening experience. It looks like the Mooney strong cabin structure has saved lives again. https://mynews4.com/news/local/gallery/multiple-agencies-respond-to-incident-near-silver-springs-airport-in-lyon-county?photo=1

Oh no they don’t. Some things are less onerous, but others are more so. Not CASA, but designated engineers with CASA approval can sign these off and most are reasonable provided the submission has been properly completed.

Mine was approved based on the STC PMA for the PA32, which has the Lycoming IO540 engine that we know has similarities to the IO360, despite 2 extra cylinders. The standby alternator is the BC410. https://bandc.com/product/bc410-standby-alternator-system-for-piper-pa32-cherokee-six-lance-and-saratoga-stc-pma/#controller-regulator Although there is a different approval process on my side of the world, I hope this helps and yours will be as seamless.

I had one fitted to my J and it is great. It helped a lot when my alternator belt let go. It automatically comes on line when a failure is detected.

Re the N9339M accident, if it's true it pitched up and rolled right the second time, it sounds like the pilot got himself into a secondary stall. Usually the result of over controlling.

Well I haven't missed it in 26 years. If you can't spot two long red flags almost reaching the ground toward the front from under both wings during a walk around then take your chances that you don't have an insect blocking one of your vents. One of the last things I do before climbing aboard each flight is stand back facing the front of the aircraft checking that there are no flags, both fuel caps are fully closed and flush. Spruce also sells one. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/nelsonproducts3.php?clickkey=3079770 Another option I haven't seen in years that could work is a small screen cover.

I wouldn’t go poking around in there with anything. For both sides, get some perfectly fitting thin clear tubing about 2 inches long, make two holes at one end, put a clip or key ring through the holes, then attach a long, red "Remove Before Flight" tag to both ends. Slip each over the vent tube ends, the same as you do with your pitot tube cover. If you don’t have time to make the covers, give your mechanic the RBF tags and ask him to make the tube covers. It would only take a couple of minutes. Apply and remove both at the same time as the pitot tube cover.

Hi Alan, Do you mean you lean before taxiing and after landing? Sorry if I misunderstood.

I suspect if Fred encountered a high level of turbulence or undershoot sheer then full power would have been maintained, provided the engine was developing power. Is there any available information on the position of the prop post impact?

If mine has been shutdown for longer than about 20-30 minutes, I fully open the throttle, give it a quick half a second boost pump squirt of fuel, close the throttle then do a normal start. This method generally works for me provided I don’t over do it with the boost pump.

Piper Aztec comes to mind.

Absolutely correct. Blancolirio's latest video features this particular accident (he starts with 'Well, here we go again' in reference to reporting for the 4th time this year a fatal accident involving an open door), which included an excerpt from the SIMCOM C340 training manual that states, "Should a nose baggage door open during takeoff, it is not like that contact with the propeller would occur, nor should any unusual handling qualities be evidenced. If this emergency should occur during the takeoff roll and sufficient runway remains to safely abort, the airplane should be slowed and stopped. If this emergency should occur after takeoff and/or insufficient runway remains to safely abort, airspeed should be maintained below 120KIAS and return to the airport for landing should be made as soon as practical." Further information in the training manual indicates the C340 has robust rear door locking mechanisms due to the aircraft being pressurised. Earlier I edited this post adding that a mate of mine who used to own a C340 told me he thought an open nose door will affect controllability. In case anyone noticed the edit, after viewing the video I removed the edit from the post back to what I originally wrote.

Hi Barney, I had also had a shock absorber the same as yours on the nose wheel of my J when I bought it 24 years ago. My Mooney was looked after in those days by Hamish Ramsay (who has since retired) at YWGT and I recall him suggesting he remove it as Cfidave suggested, Mooney considered it to serve no useful purpose and authorised the removal if desired, so that is what Hamish did. I forgot about it until I just read your thread.

….and it continues to happen. The following is a link to a C340 accident on Sunday at KDWH resulting in 2 fatalities where preliminary info suggests a door opened shortly after takeoff. The only access door into the interior of a C340 is at the rear pilot side of the cabin, a 2-door clamshell design with a small upper door on top and a large lower door below that are secured together when closed. I don’t know whether the upper or lower door let go or whether either would induce a controllability problem, unless the upper door let go and struck the horizontal or vertical stab. Back in the day during a high speed descent in a Piper Chieftain (PA-350) that has a similar rear door setup to a C340, the lower door unlatched (due to a faulty locking mechanism) and fully opened. I had no controllability problem and neither the door hinge nor the door itself were damaged. When open, the lower door is secured on both sides by covered strong cables that also act similar to handrail supports when entering or leaving the cabin. Apart from the noise, it was a nonevent. I was glad I had no pax on board.

The tunnel colours and lights of the city are like magic.

https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/546751 Reported as lack of fuel. Looks like it used to be a nice Porsche Mooney.

I know of a similar incident that had the same result, but it was not caused by a PIO. A pilot landed on a grass strip in his J and during the roll out, the nose wheel ran over a small divot that caused the nose wheel to collapse. The cause was found to be an out of rig nose wheel.

Yes, you are correct, however one of the media links included info I in part mentioned was according to the fire department a landing gear malfunction. The FD may have derived that info from the pilot himself. According to the fire department, the plane landed on its nose after a landing gear malfunction. Given nose wheel failures are rare, I agree a PIO is most likely what happened.

https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/546065 Since when did a Mooney become a twin jet Challenger? - Citing Virginia State Police, Potomac Local reported that the Bombardier CL-600 twin-engine plane slid about 200 to 300 feet on the runway. The pilot, a 47-year-old from Washington, D.C., was the only person on board. On a more serious note, it is reported as a gear malfunction with no injuries.

It looks as though you are doing well with your landings, which is a good thing as many new Mooney pilots tend to land too fast that can result in more than a bad hair day. You may already may be aware, but be mindful of harsh brake application as older Mooney brakes tend to be sensitive if applied too hard that can result in flat spotted tyres. Congrats and enjoy the ride.