Shadrach

Yea, no need sight verdicts when you can just read through several reports. I recently read an NTSB report that stated that the boost pump was found in the on position in a C172P that landed off airport. Have you ever seen a boost pump on a gravity fed, carbureted, Cessna? Like all organizations the FAA/NTSB has good eggs and bad eggs. I don’t think either organization is at their peak when compared to past performance, but I remain hopeful. No organization is above reproach.

This thread has degraded quickly. I don't know Dan Gryder personally but I know two people that do. Those folks would likely admit that he can be a blowhard, a provocateur, a troll, and any number of other pejoratives one can imagine. However, in discussions with folks who know Dan, I have never inferred that he is an idiot. To the contrary, he’s been described as a pretty talented aviator that is often his own worst enemy. I personally find his style off-putting. I also find some of his public statements needlessly antagonistic. Some of those statements have resulted in litigation, and likely deservedly so. What is also off-putting is all the name calling and piling on by people who've likely never met the man. Anyone here who knows Dan personally, feel free to correct me with a personal anecdote. Those of you who want to continue beating this horse every time Dan posts something you hate should consider starting a new thread where you can have a Gryder hatefest, circle jerk. @Freddb34 did not post a lot on this forum, I am saddened that his final thread is tied to all of this Gryder bickering.

I’ll take an opportunities to add an unsolicited opinion. I think the angle valve IO360 runs better timed at 25° BTDC. The benefits are more apparent at peak and lean of peak settings.

Perhaps some of the sentiment in my post can be attributed to my regret over the last few days that I was not more adamant when I mentioned the both fuel servo and that I thought he and his mechanic were “way upstream” of where where they needed to be. An intermittent power plant failure is a challenge. If the failure is determined to be fuel related, it would seem natural to start at the point of failure (the power plant) and work your way back. However, I fully understand that the fuel tanks are low hanging fruit and easy to inspect. I’ve posted pictures of the tank pick up screen before but Ive included a close-up below to make the point. Only fairly large particulate is going to be stopped by the fuel tank pick up screens. The fuel system on our Mooneys starts with a course screen, and the largest diameter tube in the system. As fuel progresses from the tank toward the fuel injector nozzles, the fuel will encounter finer screens (at the gascalator and fuel servo) and the inside diameter of the fuel system plumbing gets smaller and smaller. Now, I think it’s highly unlikely that sediment and debris blocked fuel flow through the pick up screen of both tanks. However, if I did see evidence that contamination was the issue, then I would absolutely assume that everything downstream had also been contaminated. The simplest way for me to put this is that I can envision no scenario where debris in both of the tanks would cause repeated engine failures yet leave the rest of the fuel system airworthy. I wish I had said as much to Fred.

Rather short operator’s manual associated with the 1965 M20E. The only 150 mph reference I find it for Maximum Structural Cruising Speed.

We can guess, but it’s not known for sure that fuel contamination or even the fuel system in general, was responsible for this engine’s recurring power loss issue. Unfortunately, the previous statement was also true prior to the fateful flight. I think it’s important to recognize that the diagnosis of a malfunction associated with critical system must be holistic. If part of the fuel system is found to be contaminated, then the whole system needs to be inspected and decontaminated. AvStar will overhaul an RSA5A1D fuel servo for under $2K. One can never be absolutely, 100%, sure that everything is functioning exactly as it should but…and I say this reverence for the loss associated with this crash…there could have and should have been a much deeper dive into troubleshooting the malfunctioning powerplant

Not a lot of friendly terrain in the area. I don’t always do it , but I try to familiarize myself with off airport landing spots around unfamiliar airports so that I don’t have to think about where I am going to put down while troubleshooting a low level emergency. Sometimes there just aren’t any good options.

Her post was absolutely heartbreaking…

Most any mechanic willing to do such an installation is going to require a DER’s blessing to approve it. Wings have part numbers. Substituting one part number for another constitutes a major alteration.

you might be able to find it in the waybackmachine by copying the link from your notification and pasting it in to the waybackmachine search box.

I wish I could tell you but I can’t because the adapter predates my ownership.

I guess it depends on whether you want a remote or accessory case mounted filter. I have the Donaldson adapter. Donaldson Spin On Oil Filter Adapter - 204418-156 | Aircraft Spruce ® Pros: Does not further clutter the firewall. Should not need new hoses. Inexpensive Cons: Challenging to change the filter with no spills. Further clutters an already tight area of the engine.

I did not see the prop either. The media reports say that witnesses did not hear any engine noise, just a loud "thud". It was not a good day for flying on the east coast. I had to fly that day and was in continuous, moderate turbulence for the duration of my round trip. Low level winds were in the 40s, surface winds were in the 20s gusting over 30. I was only flying because I had a good reason. It was borderline miserable enroute. First time in quite a while that I felt compelled to slow down because of the turbulence. Challenging day to manage a low altitude emergency. Not the kind of weather that lends itself to gentle, nuanced, control inputs; it was the kind of day where the stall-horn sometimes bleats in the pattern at speeds over 100kias.

I don’t think he pulled a gun on the ANN editor and Chief. That conflict occurred over the phone. The incident involving the gun was between Gryder and an airport resident named Tracy Wallace. Mr. Wallace appears to be a bit of a hot head as well, with previous charges connected to physical conflict. Looks to me like two D-bags got together and tried to out D-bag one another. It appears that Dan was triumphant

I won’t speculate as to the cause of this crash. I am quite sad about the whole thing.