1980Mooney

What exactly are you trying to achieve? Avoid liability? That won't work - you are the pilot and it goes right to you personally, trust or no trust or even if you don't own a plane and are renting. Avoid tax? - don't see how. Estate planning? I am not a lawyer but if you are the Owner and the Trustee and the Pilot then the whole thing looks like a sham. Here are the 2 biggest issues highlighted by BizJet Law.com: There are two downside considerations regarding holding your aircraft title in an owner trust: (1) cost and (2) separation of ownership. 1. Costs As with all operations, there is a cost associated with using an owner trust. The cost varies by provider and trust type. From our experience, normal owner trust costs start at a little over $4,000 for the setup and nearly $3,000 per year. Thus, for a normal owner trust, you should expect to pay around $7,000 at the closing for the first full year and then around $3,000 yearly. For a double-blind owner trust, the setup cost tends to be around $5,500 with a yearly fee of $5,500, meaning at the closing for the first full year, you should expect to pay $11,000. 2. Separation of Ownership By putting your aircraft in an owner trust, you are placing a separation of ownership between the true owner of the aircraft and the asset. The aircraft is not registered to the true owner but to the owner trustee. Further, any communication from the FAA regarding the aircraft is sent to the owner trustee, who is responsible for forwarding the information to the beneficiary. So long as the relationship between the true owner and owner trustee is positive, this should have no downside. However, suppose the true owner is concerned about a lack of communication or a negative relationship with the owner trustee. In that case, this could be a disadvantage of holding the aircraft in an owner trust.

You didn't mention if you did a complete troubleshoot to verify that it is not an intermittent/weak solenoid issue and that it is actually the starter. This has a typical step by step troubleshoot procedure. Each step has a drop down Aircraft Starter Performance Issues | Sky-Tec

Simple question: If you were flying cross country where WX briefing showed the cells top out at 8 - 10K , why would you plan to fly through them? Why couldn’t you get on top?

Yes the Final will be interesting. There are a few issues, some that you have raised, that are troubling. "Did they brief the weather?" It may be that there were two (2) pilots, one a CFII, who could have been staying aware of the weather The plane has the latest fully integrated Garmin flat panel feeding them WX along the way If there were two (2) pilots, then that can really reduce workload. I think the owner/dad (non-Instrument) was 46 and the grand-dad/CFII/ATP (if on the plane) was 74. Who was PF and who was PIC? The voice on ATC talking for N7036V sounded older - granddad may have been working the radio. If there were two (2) pilots on board, why didn't one, especially an experienced ATP/CFII, ask ATC for more WX briefs or for PIREPS on the route? If there were two (2) pilots on board, why didn't one talk to ATC when things started deteriorating? There is an interesting CRM issue when a pilot flies with his father who is also a pilot/ATP/CFII. Does the son naturally tend to defer to the father in times of stress for better or worse? This plane had a fully integrated up to date Garmin flat panel with all the bells and whistles expect "AutoLand".. "New Custom Garmin Panel by JA Air Center including: Garmin GMA345 audio panel Garmin G3X 10” PFD/MFD Garmin GTN650TXI Garmin Safe Glide Garmin EIS system CiES Fuel Senders Garmin G5 Garmin GFC500 – autopilot w/ R,P,T Garmin GTX345ADSB Garmin GNC255A Nav/Com Garmin GAE12 Encoder Garmin USB" The listing mentioned "Safe Glide" but I think they meant Smart Glide. It had Electronic Stability and Protection (Garmin ESP™) to help prevent loss of control https://www.garmin.com/en-US/newsroom/press-release/aviation/garmin-smart-glide-now-available-for-the-g3x-touch-flight-display-and-g5-electronic-flight-instrument-for-certified-aircraft/ https://discover.garmin.com/en-US/autonomi/#esp So why would they fly into a cell and why would it lose control due to convection if not in a cell? I wouldn't be surprised if an ambulance chasing aviation lawyer gets to the family before the Final and slaps Garmin and JA Air Center with huge lawsuits.

Maybe the better question is why would you file to fly into a Known Icing G-Airmet in a non-FIKI plane with passengers, regardless of whether you are not Instrument rated or you have a CFII in the right seat or not? And is it technically "legal". The POH says it is not. Flying Into Known Icing - Is It Legal? - AVweb F POH J POH

This article says father and grandparents. So correct - two (2) generations. MTSU golfer’s father, grandparents killed in TN plane crash His father, Jeffry Blane Maneth (owner of the LLC that registered N7026V) held a Private SEL only. They have not released the names of which grandparents, but Jeff's father is Marion L. Maneth, age 74, a retired ATP and current CFII.

Middle Tennesse State University Athletics Dept. is reporting that one of their student golfers, his father (the owner of the CLEAR AYR, LLC registered owner of N7026V) and his grandfather, all of Texarkana, perished in the crash. Three generations …very sad.

Good point. Tail stall recovery is just the opposite of a wing stall. If the tail stalled and he thought it was the wing, then he would have done just the opposite and pushed the nose down. Tailplane Stall Recovery: -Pull back on the yoke -Reduce Flaps -Reduce Power: This is aircraft specific based on engine location in relation to CG and how power changes angle of attack. (Engines mounted above the CG will create a stronger pitching down moment as power increases)

We don't know that to be the case. But it would not be the first time. Here is one, actually a Mooney pilot, whose bone headed illegal IFR flight made an AVweb write-up. Probable Cause #61: Illegal IFR Flight - AVweb In the crash of N7026V, it is pure speculation because the Owner of CLEAR AYR, LLC is not listed as Instrument Rated on the FAA Airman. He might be newly minted and posting in the database is behind. The plane might have been sold (the LLC is "inactive" and listed as "tax forfeiture" by the Texas Sec. of State). There might be an IFR rated pilot in the right seat. Dont know.

Agreed. I found the 29 kts increase in speed (Over the span of 42 seconds) while remaining at constant altitude very strange. How can a Mooney go from a steady 153 kts cruise speed (likely wide open cruise for an M20F with 201 mods) to 183 kts in such a short time? Was he in a massive updraft?...And his autopilot lowered the nose/AOA to maintain altitude? (essentially diving in the relative wind?) Or just a massive localized tail wind?

With that fancy panel, he should have been able to get DataLink weather via FIS-B. And if he had an iPad with GarminPilot of Foreflight then he should have been able to get a snapshot of the route while in the terminal.

Found this on Beechtalk. At the beginning of the tape they direct N7026V to contact Knoxville (and he responds). At about 3:30 they are calling 26V with no reponse. At 3:50 they announce that radar service for 26V is lost and to report position. Nothing else is heard. There is no "mayday". archive.liveatc.net/ktys/KTYS-Apr-11-2025-1800Z.mp3

I noticed that the ADSB showed his FMS set for 7,000 ft and 78-degree heading. I suspected that he had a modern digital autopilot for ADSB to receive that information but the 2019 Aircraft.com listing did not show anything but a legacy panel with a GNS-430W and a Apollo GX50 autopilot. However, I found a newer listing (probably 2022-23) with a new panel and a GFC500 (it was listed as "7026V" instead of N7026V). 7026V | 1976 MOONEY M20F on Aircraft.com It shows: "New Custom Garmin Panel by JA Air Center including: Garmin GMA345 audio panel Garmin G3X 10” PFD/MFD Garmin GTN650TXI Garmin Safe Glide Garmin EIS system CiES Fuel Senders Garmin G5 Garmin GFC500 – autopilot w/ R,P,T Garmin GTX345ADSB Garmin GNC255A Nav/Com Garmin GAE12 Encoder Garmin USB" I suspect the pilot was relying heavily on the Garmin autopilot (maybe exclusively if it was the LLC owner who is not Instrument rated per FAA Airman). I am simply speculating that it was icing with a power-on stall. If he was in the clag he may not have noticed the thickness or effect of the ice - as the plane labored to lift and the autopilot continued to pitch up to maintain altitude until it broke and stalled. He wound up going the other direction and mainly down. That happened twice but the plane may have been shedding control surfaces before the second 180. Just an opinion..... New Panel (2022 or 2023) Old Panel (2019)

N7026V - 1976 M20F N7026V | 1976 MOONEY M20F EXEC 21 on Aircraft.com Current listed owner bought the Mooney in early 2023. It is registered in the name of CLEAR AYR, LLC and based in Texarkana. This was the third flight of the day on a cross-country that started about 5 hours earlier from Hot Springs. https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a95f3a&lat=35.260&lon=-84.510&zoom=15.0&showTrace=2025-04-11&trackLabels&timestamp=1744394565 I listened to the archives of LiveATC for Chatanooga Tower/APCH where he took off about 20 minutes before the crash. The tower was saying that their weather radar was not working well and they kept asking everyone for weather reports. Pilots reported light rime ice from 7,500 to 10,000 ft. The pilot had filed - Squawk was 5137 and the FMS on ADSB shows he filed for 7,000 ft. I heard the Tower clear him for takeoff. I did not hear any emergency preceding the crash, but the pilot may have flipped over to Atlanta Center by the time of the accident. I can't find it. It appears to be a stall/spin. Oddly, his speed accelerated from 154 kts to 185 kts over a 40 second period while remaining level at 6,950 ft barometric. Then over the next 4 seconds he descended 1,000 ft while maintaining 173 kts. Then over the next 5 seconds he started descending about -15,000 FPM to -18,000 FPM and ground speed deteriorated to 54 kts while turning 180 degrees direction of travel. Then over the next 3 seconds he was descending over -19,000 FPM and ground speed was 237 kts. If I did the trig right, the was 190 kts vertical and 237 kts horizontal = 304 kts speed through the air. ( Note: That was at about 3,600 ft so the IAS would be about 282 kts) Then over the next seven (7) seconds he accelerated to 252 kts. groundspeed while still descending at -11,000 FPM. He reduced his descent to about -2,200 FPM and ground speed to about 230 kts while turning right. In the last recorded second, he turned about 180 degrees right again, his ground speed deteriorated to 45 kts and his descent accelerated to -12,800 FPM. The listed owner of CLEAR AYR, LLC is not Instrument rated per FAA Airman Registry. On his Twitter/X page, his logo shows a picture of him in front of N7026V. Oddly the State of Texas shows CLEAR AYR, LLC to be "Inactive" and a "tax forfeiture" in 2024. - so it is not clear who was flying.

https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/496358 M20F N7026V

Right.. pilot/owners like me. I have only spoken to him directly once. When I was a new Mooney owner many years ago, I was perplexed not being able to figure out why my clock, panel and interior lights were out on my J. I looked at all the breakers, looked in the POH, looked in the Service Manual. There was no AI, Chat GPY-4 or "COPILOT" to search the internet for me. We were going to leave on a trip and I had no time to take it to an A&P. In frustration I called Maxwell Aviation. Don was nice enough to immediately get on the phone and tell me about the glass AGC fuse holder "hidden" in the tail near the battery. A quick trip to the auto parts store to get some fuses and our trip was saved. Thanks again to Maxwell.

Is that a typo or are you saying that a 3 blade MT prop costs $15,000 to overhaul???

As others have said it is a good idea to have an electronic copy of the logs regardless. That said, the physical original logs on my plane have always gone to the shop with the plane over the last 45 years. The shops/mechanics that I use store the logs in a vault - I trust those shops and mechanics. I have never had a problem. I am sure that there are some horror stories out there. It's your choice.

@MikeOH said above and in 2024 that Top Gun's shop rate was $145/hour. A topic last year noted shop rates running from $95/hour to $145/hour with the average around $120/hour. Here in the Houston area I just paid $115/hour for Annual. That means you may be looking at about $4,900 for the basic Annual at Top Gun plus parts and repairs. Perhaps Top Gun gives a discount on a flat rate for the Annual to get the repair business at full rate.

Many hangars (most? - especially municipally owned hangars) do not allow battery charging unless you are present. Their insurance carriers are also paranoid about the risk… https://www.wtae.com/article/hangar-fire-planes-damaged-westmoreland-county/61762122 https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Airplane-hangar-burns-at-Barnwell-airport-damages-five-planes-445844383.html?outputType=amp https://www.whiterivernow.com/2025/01/21/batesville-firefighters-respond-to-fire-at-airport-hangar/ https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2024/09/02/fire-destroys-hangar-building-lansing-airport-capital-region-international/75045975007/ https://ktul.com/news/local/2-injuries-reported-after-fire-at-claremore-regional-airport-hangar-collapsed-aircrafts-removed-firefighters-damage-building-emergency-response-water-transported-hospital https://bakersfieldnow.com/amp/news/local/firefighters-battle-blaze-at-tehachapi-airport-hangar-amid-heavy-snowfall-kern-county-california-fire-safety-hangar- https://www.cbs19.tv/article/news/local/officials-investigating-private-hangar-catches-fire-at-east-texas-regional-airport/501-5119deed-d8ee-4417-8646-9b416d64633b

I am sure there are some A&P's and shops that will not spend time researching further if they see "PCW". But here is an article by AviationPros that highlights how an expected "clean Annual" turned into an "Annual from Hell" when they actually looked that the "PCW" AD's. I like the title - Previously Complied With Are you sure? Previously Complied With | Aviation Pros "in the interest of safety, it is a good idea to at least look over the AD listings in the logbook, or that may be in the form of a computer readout, with a view to finding something that may bear further investigation. Not too many years ago, hand written AD listings contained very little detailed information as to exactly what was done in compliance with the requirements specified in an AD. In fact, "All ADs complied with" as part of an annual sign off was a fairly common notation. And the PCW that so often appears in an AD listing, is very often an assumption based upon a very scant entry made some years before." "Based upon the experience with the (plane in article) mentioned above, and a few similar instances encountered over the years, I have found it a good idea to reconsider all the ADs that apply to an aircraft at inspection time, whether previously complied with or not, and taking just a moment of time. Consider the possibility of the subject matter of each AD once more requiring attention" Like many here the OP's plane is 45 years old. The old handwritten logs many times err on the side of extreme brevity. I know of a shop that is iron-ass about this - they are a combined training center and maintenance facility. They are not going to sign "All AD's complied with" in the logs unless they "are sure"....

In reality just having the digitized logs may be sufficient. In my experience when you start using a new shop for your plane's Annual, it doesn't matter if you have an "AD Compliance Document" from the previous shop or not. The new shop is likely going to charge you shop hours to check each AD and create a new "document". There is no standard FAA form for logging AD Compliance. The FAA only has a "suggested format" - see Appendix 1 in this link. AC 43-9C CHG 1 I have at least three (3) different "AD Compliance Logs" that I can find in my records, all different formats, all completely filled out and all with entries individually signed. I am sure that I (and prior owners) have paid for this duplicate review/record keeping over the years. The new shop is not likely going to simply trust that any existing list that you hand them is complete or accurate. I suspect it is a liability thing.....

Timothy Theodore Coons appears to be alive and well in Florida. Spokeo, WhitePages, Intelius and TruePeople Search list his age as 63. Spokeo and Intelius even list his old email addresses with "@modworks.com" Timothy Theodore Coons, Matlacha, FL (33993) - Spokeo Tim Coons, Age 63 in Matlacha, FL, (941) 204-4102 Timothy T Coons | 60s | World Plaza Ln Ste 1, Fort Myers, FL | Whitepages People Search Tim Coons - Background Report, Location & Phone Number | Intelius He appears to live here.... 11923 Island Ave, Matlacha, FL 33993 - Get Owner Info Here is his LinkedIn page - he has a "Foreign Tax CPA" business". If you belong/have access to LinkedIn you will see that his resume lists that he worked as a "Test Pilot" for 22 years but he has expunged his troubled experience with Mod Works. (26) Tim Coons | LinkedIn His company webpage: Home - Foreign Tax CPA

If you look at the screws on your other curtain rods, you will see that they are threaded into an aluminum threaded grommet that was bonded into the Royalite (ABS) Obviously the fastener for your rod has been broken/pulled out previously. You call that fastener a "Molly bolt" but it almost looks like someone did a "shade tree" repair with a plastic drywall fastener. If you are going to build up the broken corner per the guidance above you need to make a decision Either bond a threaded grommet back into the corner like the original Or maybe just remove the curtains completely and rebuild the corner back smoothly

@redbaron1982 also, where it asks for “estimated value“ just use the price you originally paid for it. The first time I filled out this Texas form for the county was in the early 2000’s. I use the price that I paid for it used in the 90’s. During the past 20+ years, the county has only adjusted the “appraised value” upward once and it wasn’t much and certainly not anything close to market value