Mooney_Allegro

Hello AME LLC! Wow, what an experience. It's something I hope never happens again to any of us. I'm glad you made it down successfully. Thanks for posting your story and Happy Thanksgiving!

Back in January, my TIT probe started acting erratically while taxiing out for takeoff in KMAF. It went from normal temperature all the way up to 2000'F slowly during the taxi out at 1,000 RPMs. It then X'ed out red. I returned back to the good folks at Deer Horn Aviation, and they suspected the TIT probe was bad, and replaced it with a new one a week later. While enroute to Las Vegas after replacement, the TIT indication slowly started increasing to red line and blanked out. I diverted, uncowled and checked the engine with nothing unusual, oil temp and all other indications were normal, so I continued the flight to Las Vegas with the TIT probe slowly increasing from normal temp all the way to red line during the entire flight. I suspected it was a bad TIT reading. I recycled the circuit breaker each time and it restarted the process over and over during the flight. I also called SAVVY breakdown service to get a second opinion before I departed from the divert airfield. It turned out that I had a bad GEA71 and it was sent back to Garmin for repair. When it returned, all of the settings were erased including the G1000 software, so my Garmin tech had a hard time reprogramming it for my aircraft options/installations. It took him at least 4 hours in total and several trips to my hangar. He ran down the new battery in the process, because he had battery 2 selected instead of batt 1 with his power cart installed. My mechanic ended up putting back the old TIT probe we suspected as bad and kept the new one as a spare. I recommend taking a photo of all the pages in your GEA71 in the event it has to be sent back to Garmin, otherwise it will take hours for your Garmin dealer to reprogram the unit when it comes back from Garmin if he doesn't know what he's doing. You also have to reload the G1000 software on it, which you can get from the Garmin website or dealer. I recommend saving a copy of the G1000 software and keeping it in the plane. Also, keep a copy of your synthetic vision unlock card in the plane for instances like this. I think I used a 32 gig card for the G1000 software. The process took a lot of time, effort and thousands of dollars. Garmin wasn't any help in the process. They just kept telling me, "contact your Garmin dealer with any questions you have". With an erratic TIT probe, the last issue I would have thought would be a defective GEA71 box, and that's exactly what the issue was. By the way, Don Brady at Deer Horn Aviation in Midland, TX (KMAF) was fantastic. They bent over backwards to help me while my plane was there for over a month, including letting me borrow their courtest SUV for days at a time.

In my opinion, Henry Weber, in Lancaster, PA rocks for safety and peace of mind. That's why I fly from Las Vegas all the way to Lancaster, PA to get my annuals done. I've had too many dangerous close calls over the years with defective maintenance done at various other "Mooney Service Centers". Never again. Safety is too important.

Hi Doc, it's the correct probe, same manufacturer and PN from the last one. ALCOR PN: 86309. Thanks Carusoam for your insight.

Background: After overhauling the right turbocharger by Main Turbo, it was time for a flight test after a thorough runup. During the taxiout, the TIT (only 1 probe on the right turbo) slowly started increasing into the redline and then X'ed out. I taxied right back to the maintenance facility. The guys determined that it was most likely a bad TIT probe. A few days later, they replaced the probe. I did a runup, and it seemed to be ok. I departed and ended up diverting about 30 min. after takeoff due to increasing TIT into the red up to 2000'F, despite powering back. After landing, I didn't see anything unusual with the right turbocharger or anything else for that matter. In cruise, the MP, RPM, CHT, EGT, oil pressure, oil temperature were all very normal including no unusual burning odor. In coordination with my mechanic, I departed again, and during the next 3 hours, the TIT showed 40'F, and then during the next hour, slowly increased to 2000'F, before X'ing out. When it reached 2000'F, I pulled and reset the GEA1 CB (engine instruments), and the TIT started back at 40'F, and would start its slow accent towards 2000'F during the next hour. It would increase 50'F every 3 minutes. I also noticed that when I turned off the alternator in flight, the TIT would drop 75'F immediately, and when I turned the alternator back on, it would increase 75'F. With the engine shut down on the ground, when I turn off the alternator switch, the TIT drops about 75'F. Also, after my 1000 rpm run after the probe was changed out, after engine shutdown, the TIT kept increasing slowly instead of decreasing. Battery #2 may need to be changed because the volts drop off super fast on the ramp with the engine shutdown. My plane was sitting in TX for almost a month and the batteries ran down. They were recharged, but the damage may have been done. I'm not sure if this had something to do with the TIT errors or not. I don't think it's a probe issue, because this is a brand new probe and it is acting the same way as the old one with 600 hours. I called Garmin today, thinking it could be a GEA1 issue in the tail with the software, but she couldn't help. She told me I needed to contact a Garmin dealer. The mechanic suggested that the TIT probe might be getting interference from the alternator lead. At this point, I don't know what's going on. Has anyone else experienced such an anomaly with their TIT Garmin G1000 cockpit indication? Thx for any feedback.

Main Turbo in California. I just had my right turbocharger overhauled last week for my Acclaim Type S. Main is considered the best in the USA from what I'm told. Very quick turnaround time.

Absoultely gorgeous! I saw your plane when I dropped off my plane for an interior refresh by Hector. I'm getting everything done except the carpets.

I ordered a box of Tempest and Champion oil filters back in April at Sun 'n Fun from Aircraft Spruce. Aircraft Spruce tells me not to expect them until October at the earliest. If they come in October, it will be 6 months! When I asked Champion at Oshkosh what the issue was, the representative advised me that the problem is due to the metal not being available to make the filters. He said they were not manufactured in China, that they were made here in the USA.

My insurance rate through Falcon has been going up 8% per year with no claims for the last three years. I just paid the premium for 2022.

I don't recommend the automotive 3M film at all on the rear window plexiglass. I had it applied to a 1998 M20J by a professional & well recognized auto installer in the ATL area. It looked great for about 5 months, and then it started to show major cracks throughout the film. It got so bad I had to have him come remove it. Luckily it didn't leave any residue after removal.

Thanks Niko182 for the offer, but I’m looking for a new one. Kortopates, I’m not sure where the MSC is looking, but I’ll have a peak at the switch next week when I get back home.

My MSC mechanic cannot find a part number for a 2015 Acclaim Type S ignition switch. I’m proactively changing the switch out for a very intermittent starting issue. The starter was replaced, the batteries replaced, the starter relay was replaced, so this is the last item to be replaced. If he can’t find a part number, he’ll have to pull out the original to locate the number on the switch. Any feedback would be helpful. Thank you.

With that amount of flying, for piece of mind and to prevent unexpected breakdowns, I'd want a mechanic to go over the plane at regular intervals. I'd recommend having a 100 hour. Personally I don't think it's overkill as long as routine maintenance is not a cost issue for you. That's a lot of flying. You're engine will NOT be subject to corrosion.

Hi Philip, Thanks for the info. When I used Air Fleet Capital for my Mooney financing, they only charged a $695 closing fee. Do you know of a financing company that you recommend?

I'm just curious.....for an aircraft loan, is a Loan Origination Fee of 1% of the borrowed amount and an Application fee of $695 charged by the finance company routine nowadays?