Shadrach

I’m wondering if the governor is rotating in the housing. The PCU 1000 like most governors can be “clocked” within the housing to accommodate a multitude of prop cable mounting positions. It’s conceivable that if the governor was not properly tightened down or has become loose, it is moving slightly..

The trends I’m quoting are per 100,000hrs. You can quibble with the methodology but it’s the best we have.

Pilots have really not broken much new ground in terms of how they bend airplanes. GA accident rates are generally trending down.

Well, I might agree with you if I thought that the retractable gear and prop had anything to do with this mishap. I’ve landed my plan on ice many times it’s just that there’s always been asphalt underneath.

Looks to me like he was trying to make a short field landing and ran out of energy just before the threshold.

Thanks for the feedback folks. And just to be clear, I have not nor have I ever set any plane afire. My question was driven by a trend I’ve seen recently of winter time engine fires from over priming and poor fuel atomization. Be careful out there.

They have a fairly extensive collection of used parts. I’ve purchased parts by mail from them. They recently relocated. I’ve never had work done there but I’ve never heard anything negative.

Look forward to speaking next week. Just so we’re clear on working “perfectly”.

Fuel puddles in the air box when an updraft carb is over primed. In cold temps fuel atomizes poorly. Gravity wins. I’ve seen aircraft with no electrical system catch fire during hand propping. In these kinds of situations, I can’t say where the fire starts only that most of the burn occurs in the air box.

Nothing to do with my engine or a specific event. I am looking for general guidance that would help one determine "if" heat levels were significant enough to warrant anything beyond cleaning.. Obviously damage to the ignition harness and other accessories warrants an external inspection, beyond that I have not found much.

I switched to 83282 (Royco 782) the last time I did maintenance on my system. That being said, 5605 vs 83282 never made an operational difference. Almost all of the problems that I have encountered with the Mooney flap system have been the result of someone, for some reason, deciding that the system needed an "overhaul." As soon as humans disturb the system a host of potential issues come to the forefront.

Folks, I am looking for guidance on returning an engine to service after an engine compartment fire during a failed start. No, I did not set my F model on fire. However, being a stone's throw from the fuel farm, I have seen my fair share of engine fires during start up. The damage has varied from none to minor paint work. That being said, I can find no guidance from Lycoming or Continental on external and internal inspection protocol. Your thoughts and experience appreciated.

There were actually pundits on X calling for the Sec of Transportation to travel to Tuscon and make a statement.

It’s not that I’ve lost interest. I think I mentioned to you in a DM several months ago that I was embarking on a new professional endeavor. Posting here has become a more delicate proposition for that reason. I still check in from time to time to see if I can be of help.

Oliver, There are a host of small issues that might be causing your problem. My sense is that everything was not perfect over the summer but was acceptable enough for you to think it was functioning properly. The symptoms of having air in the system are exacerbated by the cold. We had a particular harsh winter here. The last time I flew my plane it was in the low teens and the system performed flawlessly. It’s not the system. I will DM you my phone number. More effective to have a discussion over the phone. Thanks to @Ragsf15e for conjuring me. I’m pretty scarce around these parts these days.

Is the box mounted on the pilot’s sidewall? That is typically where the Brittain PC controller (at least I think that’s what it is) shown below is mounted when installed on a Mooney. That Box looks a bit more modern but if it is installed in the same place, it is likely a remnant of the last Brittain AP.

Maybe it is due to the configuration of the three bay, 64 gal tanks, but I can say that I have never seen them leak fuel from the vents.

The vents on my 67F are pointed tubes that protrude straight down from underside of the outermost tank. Any spillage would have to defy gravity on the ground and would evaporate almost immediately in the air. Are you getting blue stains aft of your vents?

Has your F ever puked fuel out of the vents? I’ve managed to do that with other makes, but never the Mooney. Even if I did, it would end up on the ground not on the paint. Did Mooney have an alternative vent design that deposit fuel onto paint?

Have you ever had your lead levels tested? I have… While I am below the “safe” threshold, I am 99.9% sure that the lead present in my system is from exposure to TEL in avgas. I have been around airplanes since birth and have certainly been careless with regards to PPE while exposed to things like exhaust stains on the belly or direct skin exposure to Avgas. It is nasty stuff. However, I don’t think it has a measurable affect on those not directly exposed to it (pilots, line personnel, mechanics etc.) the idea that overflying airplanes are poisoning the public is pretty silly.

Are you concerned that the vented vapors are going to stain the paint?

I’m very sorry for your loss Cliff. That was one of the most horrific commercial aviation accidents of my lifetime. There was no way out of it. My sincere condolences.

Something as simple as simplifying the mfg certification for parts that are non critical to flight. The FDA classifies medical devices according to risk. The level of regulatory oversight is determined by classification. Then there is FDA approval vs clearance which is a process to determine safety by comparison to an existing approved product. I’m not saying it’s a perfect fit, but we should not be regulating light bulbs and fuel servos under the same set of regs and level of scrutiny. It’s bad for everyone, including the FAA.

So I looked at mine yesterday (good excuse to swap out the o-rings and lubricate). They are not adjustable in terms of clocking position, nor is it really possible to install the locking plate upside down. The orientation of the cleats is fixed when the caps are fabricated.

I would not call it lying exactly, just an unrealistic view of the shop’s liability. There’s always that first case and award that makes rational people think WTF? Hard to talk a service provider out of their policy decisions even if the current facts are on your side. Especially given some of the frivolous payouts awarded by juries.