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Final is out on the crash of the 1997 M20K Encore, N304MA, near Lakeway Airport on February 12, 2023. The engine broke the #6 piston presumably due to detonation. Causes listed are spark plugs worn out of spec, magneto timing out of spec, running lean. The engine had a major Overhaul with new CMI cylinders May 24, 2019 by Jewel Aviation. Don Maxwell Service Center inspected/gapped plugs and checked the magneto timing as part of the Annual on October 8, 2022. Engine 278 hours since TSMOH. (Aircraft hours were 2732) Dugosh did the Pre-Buy Inspection the week of January 17, 2023. Engine hours were 304 (Aircraft hours were 2758) 26 hours after the Maxwell Annual - Dugosh claims that plugs are worn out The accident was on February 13, 2023 Engine hours were 309 (Aircraft hours were 2764 .) 31 hours after the Annual by Maxwell The new owner/pilot (Commercial, Instructor and Helicopter rated) did transition training At about 6,000 AGL and about 5 nm from Lakeway Airport he noticed Fluctuating cylinder temperatures Manifold pressure dropped to 26 in. He could not increase manifold pressure He had partial power and flew towards Lakeway, declaring an emergency While on Final for the runway he lost all oil pressure. He crashed short of the runway So, we are to believe that only 31 hours and about 3 months later after Maxwell had their hands on the engine, the spark plugs wore out and the magneto got so badly out of time that it destroyed the engine? I am having a hard time believing this. The Right Mag was 22 degrees (only 2 degrees advanced over spec) and the Left Mag was 15 degrees (5 degrees retarded below spec). The pilot commented that he had been running lean. Are we to believe that spark plugs will wear out in 25 hours? Are we to believe that Maxwell did not time the mags properly or that they went out of adjustment in 32 hours? If one of the last M20K Encore's made by Mooney, maintained by Maxwell, inspected by Dugosh, flown by a Commercial and Instructor rated Pilot can't reliably make it back to the runway without crashing, what hope is there for 20-40 year older Mooney's in the hands of mere amateur weekend pilots like most of us?..... N304MA | 1997 MOONEY M20K ENCORE on Aircraft.com https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/106726/pdf

All interesting. The Aircraft, Engine and Prop Logs are in the Docket from 2018 on to the time of the accident. This Encore was owned by PA Aviation LLC in Burleson, TX from 2012 to just before the accident on February 12, 2023 The plane was in Kerrville (presumably Dugosh) from January 16-23, 2023 and then returned to Kestrel The new owner (Commercial & Helo Pilot/CFI owner and PIC during crash) appears to be flying transition training on February 11, 2023 - the day before the accident The plane flew from Kestrel in 6 legs eventually back to Kestrel - total duration 6.5 hours ADS-B Exchange - track aircraft live (adsbexchange.com) While owned by PA Aviation LLC, the owner seemed to have mostly the "best of the best" work on the plane All Annuals were done by Maxwell during the entire period (before and after the Overhaul) In July 2019 Maxwell performed the Overhaul with the engine done by Jewel In August 2019 LASAR in California worked on the plane - entry says " tightened most of the induction clamps. Set MP to 39" @ Full Power" "replaced TIT probe and OPS check normal on JPI" In September 2019, for some reason, Maxwell worked on the TIT probe again In February 2021, Maxwell installed Garmin G5's and GFC500 autopilot and removed the vacuum system. https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17141507&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Engine Maintenance Records - 2018 to Accident_Redacted-Rel.pdf https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17141169&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Airframe Maintenance Records - 2018 to Accident_Redacted-Rel.pdf https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17141070&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Propeller Maintenance Records - 2018 to Accident_Redacted-Rel.pdf Although not in the Logs, Dugosh performed the Pre-Buy January 16-23, 2023 This did not appear to be a neglected plane. Maxwell and LASAR are not "bargain basement" providers. A lot of really experienced Mooney mechanics had their eyes and hands on this Encore right up to the time of the accident. How could this 300+ hour engine be in such bad shape?

I have an A-13A-1 clock in my plane. I cleaned and lubed it a few years ago. It was the most complicated mechanical assembly I have ever taken apart and put back together. It made an aircraft engine seem like child's play. The service manual had a specification for the barrel grease that took a lot of research to figure out what it was and where to get it. After going through about 10 different obsolete specifications and finding out what they were superseded by, it ended up being of all things Aeroshell 6. It still works flawlessly BTW. I could never find the jewel oil that was specified. So I used Moebius watch oil.

1 qt in 10hrs is an excellent oil usage number and is actually on the low side for chrome cylinders. Chrome cylinders are not honed. I doubt Jewel is doing barrel work to chrome cylinders.

He Mooney team, I hope all is well with you. I am going to try to get my Mooney down to Jewl for IRAN/Overhaul (we'll see) this coming May 25th-29 depending on Wx. Wondered if I got gas if it would be convenient to get a ride back to KHAE (Hannibal MO) or KUIN (Quincy, IL) from Jewell aviation in Kennett, MO (KTKX). Been savings my nickels and dimes to get the engine done and am ready to pull the trigger. Thanks, Stephen

Couldn’t decide which post to paste this to but this article is awesome - on the CAFE M20E. Step by step notes from Brian Seeley. Found this jewel in the downloads section from 2015. I’ll be looking to see what I can imitate. Thought it would be helpful for others too!

Back safe and sound from Branson, PTL! Tailwinds going, F41 to PLK 2:01 flight time, headwinds coming home 2:18. Flew into KPLK. Excellent FBO. I asked about plugging in the airplane heater 3 hours before departure and they were more than willing to oblige. Avis car rental right there in the terminal. 78 dollars for a day. Went to Sight and Sound to see their Christmas Special. It was wonderful! Many other wonderful shows, but for us S@S is the crown jewel. Branson, MO is a wonderful place!

I am listing my 1965 M20E, N48176, for sale. I have owned 48176 since mid-2016 and put over 700 hours on the airplane (115+ tach hours/year). This has been an awesome cross-country machine for my wife and I, but our family is growing and we need to upgrade to a six-seater, otherwise I would keep this plane for much longer. 48176 has many great upgrades, including a genuine 201 cowl, 201-windshield, manual speed brakes, 201-style wingtips and various gap seals and fairings. This is a very solid and economical IFR platform. I had dual G5s put in along with a 430W that provides GPSS coupled to the STEC-30. The STEC also provides altitude hold so you can fly completely hands off once at cruise altitude. Note that this M20E had the electric gear option installed at the factory, not the J-Bar, but has hydraulic flaps. 48176 has a strong maintenance record and was MSC annualled/maintained at Byerly Aviation (based in Peoria, IL) for five out of the six annuals that I owned it. The airplane shows well. It was painted in 2007, but was hangered since then. There are some minor knicks in the paint, but the airframe overall is in great shape. The interior is average and some of the plastics could use upgrading if the next owner desires. There is no major damage history (no gear-up in its lifetime), but some minor repairs were done over the years. One of the skins on the vertical stabilizer was replaced years before my ownership. During my ownership, a barrel blew into the left flap while tied down in Hyannis and the flap was rebuilt by Williams Airmotive in 2017. Otherwise there is no other known damage history. Note that we are still flying so hours may change. Buyer can take delivery starting August 1st. I am listing N48176 on Monneyspace first in the hopes that a fellow Mooney enthusiast will be the next owner. Please message me directly if you are interested. Here are the specs: 1965 Mooney M20E N48176 Serial # 650 Airframe: 5,809 hours since new Engine: 415 hours SMOH – Lycoming IO-360-A1A (Overhauled by Jewel Aviation in Kennett, MO September, 2019) Propeller: 909 SNEW in 2008 – Hartzell 2-blade (HC-C2YR-1BF/F7666A-2) – no recurring eddy inspection Max Gross Weight: 2,575 lbs Empty Weight: 1,712 lbs Useful Load: 862.6 lbs Fuel Capacity: 52 gallons Empty CG: 45.5 inches General and Inspections: · Hangared in Gary, IN (KGYY) · More pictures and recent logbook scans available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xvgnd4610w7vgv2/AAC6bCKKIOpfo83LzUvmZoz5a?dl=0 · MSC maintained by Byerly Aviation in Peoria, IL since 2016 · Annual inspection due 4/2023 · IFR Certification due 4/2023 · ELT battery due 5/2023 · All ADs in compliance · Compressions at 4/2022 annual: 78/78/76/72 · No major damage history or gear-ups. Minor history due to hangar rash includes replacement of upper vertical fin skin (March, 2004) and removal and repair of left flap by Williams Airmotive (Feb 2017), both completed IAW manuals Avionics: · Garmin 430W #1 WAAS GPS/Nav/Comm · King KX155 #2 Nav/Comm · Garmin G5 AI · Garmin G5 HSI with GAD 29B and GMU 11 · Stec-30 with altitude hold and GPSS · Stratus ESG Transponder with Stratus 2S ADS-B In/Out · GMA340 audio panel · JPI EDM 711 engine analyzer (with fuel flow) · Narco ELT 10 · Garmin 396 GPS · Aerospace Logic FL-100-R, VA-100, and OL-100 digital fuel, oil temperature, oil pressure, voltmeter and ammeter gauges Upgrades: · Genuine 201-cowl · 201-windshield · 201-wingtips · Manual speed brakes · Gap seals and fairings · GAMI injectors · REIF pre-heater · Front shoulder harnesses · B&C starter · Custom yokes · Upgraded engine controls · Music jack · Cowl pugs, pitot tube cover and travel cover included Recent Maintenance: · LH Magneto inspection (4/2022) · R&R landing gear emergency drive coupling and spline (4/2022) · SB-208B Inspection (4/2022) · R&R aux fuel pump (7/2021) · New battery (4/2021) · R&R transponder antenna (4/2021) · RH magneto inspection (4/2021) · Replaced screen of JPI-711 (4/2021) · New right main tire (4/2021) · Overhauled fuel servo and divider (4/2020) · Prop resealed (11/2019) · New left main tire (5/2019) · New LASAR nose landing gear truss (12/2018) · New voltage regulator and overhauled alternator (6/2018) · Overhauled prop governor (5/2018) · New landing gear pucks on all gears (5/2017) Exterior: · Painted February 2007 by Hawk Aircraft Painting (hangared since) · Matterhorn White and Diamond Black with Gray stripes · 7 or 8/10 Interior: · Black vinyl seats and gray side panels · 6 or 7/10

Is Jewel In Kennett? I spent the night there while flying a T310R to Pittsburg in 2020. That has to be the biggest business left in that town. Since the Emmerson motor plant closed, that town has become a ghost town. Sad story...

Great trip. Between dodging boomers at both ends of the leg, learning the 830, and experiencing the new engine I stayed plenty busy. Thanks for all the feedback. Jewel Aviation in Kennett, Mo builds a great engine. Also, I have an EDM 700 with all probes for sale if anyone is interested. Thanks, Walt

This is a client of mine who got his engine back from Jewel for a cracked case case replacement. They used a case shop in Tulsa who is known to cut corners, and low and behold, it’s leaking a quart every three hours from a blind hole. Lycoming says replace the case because it’s cracked and it can’t be leaking oil from the blind hole….Jewel said squirt glue in the hole and put a bolt in it and go on it’s fine cover it up. You guys spend your money where you want to, but this is where you’re going to get from Sam Jewell because it is proven verifiable fact.

Did you check jewel aviation? A few people here have had good reports of their service. @gsxrpilot did his engine there and converted it from a TSIO-360 MB to a TSIO-360 SB. But I have not seen Paul on this forum for a few months now.

Last march I purchased a quasi-abandoned M20E. It was a photo plane that was being used at our airport, I knew a couple of the pilots that were flying it. After the company flying it went bankrupt, I managed to snag it for a cool $15k. The bones were solid but the interior was original and fairly rough, the engine had 2380 hours on a reman, and the avionics were not working great. As my current mission with the mooney is to get my instrument rating, I addressed the avionics issued and redid almost all of them (750, audio panel, GTR225, dual G5). Now that I'm almost done with the instrument rating and this poor IO-360 is around 2500hrs, I'm starting to plan for an engine overhaul. It was run a lot and very gently when it was a photo plane (400+hrs/year, cruising along at 22" at 8000' for 8 hours a day), but it did sit in a hangar for around a year not being flow. Iowa is generally nice to sitting engines though. I don't mind using lesser-known shops or one-man-shows as long as they do quality work. I was curious if anyone had any recommendations aside from the usual or knew of anyone more local that might doing overhauls. I'm currently located in central Iowa but will be moving to Oklahoma in two months. I know lycomings are known for bottom end wear and that concerns me given how far it is past TBO, but a factory reman should give me room to have the crank ground and oversize bearings put in, correct? Has anyone had an overhaul done on an A1A recently or received quotes? What am I looking for price-wise with R&R? Jewel is saying $3700 plus $13amu parts (avg), what has everyone's experience been with cost to R&R? Accessories? Are there any other shops in the area that are well known and reasonable? Realistically it's going to take me around a year to scrape up enough for an overhaul, I'm just curious if anyone has any opinions or tidbits they thought would be handy to share as this is all uncharted territory for me.

Hi All, Looking for recommendations for a good shop to overhaul our 1965 M20-E engine, now with about 2,600 pus hours SMOH. Following the Mike Busch guidelines, I'm not planning to do it until the engine tells me it is time. Right now, it is running smooth, strong, burning less than a quart of oil every 6-8 hours, etc. I know the old saying that you can have 2 of 3 things as follows: good, fast, or inexpensive. Surely there are shops out there that can do all three. Have heard good things about Jewel. Any other recommendations? Bucko

I had an IO-360 A1A done by John Jewel Aviation in Holly springs Arkansas (and be advised there’s another jewel aviation out there that you can look up by accident) that now has about 200 hrs. Used new Lyc Cylinders and new case. It’s great. He is also a good place to go if you want to keep low time cylinders as he has his own cylinder shop. Only one mechanic assembles your engine. Price was very reasonable, great value.

I’ve not bought a great many aircraft, but the times I have, I’ve always flown or driven to where the airplane is, and brought a technical expert if needed, and arranged for a hanger to do the inspection. It’s my opinion that within a short amount of time, an expert can determine if you have found a jewel or a pig, if a pig then of course you thank the seller, and it’s your responsibility to return the aircraft to the condition he delivered it in, meaning of course a properly licensed individual puts it back together, and makes any logbook entries as required. Its a sellers market for everything, there is some kind of psychology of shortages and prices are jacked up because of it, everything is overpriced. This won’t last, it never does and if anything the longer it does, the greater the fall will be. Rent an aircraft until then as soon there will be bargains again as when the economy drops all “toys” become available at a discount. whether they be boats, cars vacation houses whatever. ‘If your like me you have waited years until you could have your own airplane, what’s another year?

Well... that's about right. I get busy and miss MS a few weeks and miss a jewel!! Lol.. Congrats on the sale. This would have been a great fit. I might have a lead on something, but this would certainly been a great one. Keep me posted if something different happens. GLWS Tom

I have a 1967 F model that has been a hanger queen for 10 years. Realizing I won't get a medical, it is time to sell. Here is my problem... The airframe has 3800 hours on it, the engine has almost 1800 smoh. I was putting it through an annual so I could sell it. Sadly, they didn't borescope the engine first. While we are still tinkering with the engine, I think it really needs another overhaul. Do I try to sell it as is, or send the engine off to Jewel for an overhaul before trying to sell it? How much should I be looking at for a sale price in both conditions. Other suggestions are appreciated too. A little more about the plane; airframe is in really good shape. No corrosion issues. Airframe annual was just completed. Paint and glass are in pretty good shape. Interior is older, but in good shape. No rips or tears, plastic is good except panels by feet. Avionics are old (155 and 170b), but I believe everything works except the Brittain auto pilot. It does have a fuel flow computer. Some of the work in the last month; new main gear pucks, new battery, new elt battery, all new fuel and oil lines in the engine compartment, fuel servo just rebuilt and a few other items. It's time to sell, I'm just not sure which way to go and a reasonable value with or without o/h. Thanks in advance!

Alfredo, The follow-up question is usually…. Where do I go next? If looking for the best cost…. David Jewel comes up often, with good reviews… There are always options of brand new, and factory remanufactured to consider… contact Lycoming directly for those… https://mooneyspace.com/search/?q=Jewel&quick=1 Best regards, -a-

Yes! CSI rocks! Mr. Jewel at Jewel Aircraft Engines put me onto them. Jewel is another source for a case. He had some as of about three months ago.

I’d be curious to know how Jewel’s pricing works out for a complete engine overhaul. Their on line price list doesn’t include accessories. Do they use new cylinders or overhaul your old ones? Clarence

Peter Garmin. Remember him saying they work like a fine Swiss watch? Apparently they have jewel movement and gold lettering. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I can’t believe the luck you’ve had over the past few years... Sam and David over at Jewel have helped out a lot of members and are very fast. Might want to give them a call and see if they can help you out. Shipping is cheap, go with a shop that’ll get it done.

Shipping engines is really cheap so do what’s most convenient. Having said that jewel is as cheap (and fast) as it gets so having them do everything would be a great choice.

Surprised they yanked the cylinders after just three years of sitting. If it was more than that and the overhaul is 20 ish years old I’d send it to jewel. It’s a good idea to change the hoses and isolators anyway and the fuel system was sitting unused as well during that time. The price difference might not be that much and there will be considerable value added.