Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'collapse'.
-
Greetings all - I'm looking at a 1990 M20J MSE with a history of nose landing gear incidents and would welcome some input. The nose gear has been replaced at least three times over the last ten years or so. The first happened six years ago; it was a full collapse and included a prop strike and engine overhaul, the result of (as it was explained to me) an overly-aggressive attempt to turn on a taxiway. This one was the most significant, with the engine overhauled by a reputable shop and reinstalled. (Note that the overhaul work was captured in the engine and prop logs, but I can't find any airframe repairs or the engine r&r mentioned in the airframe logbook except new NLG parts and one gear door). Yet on the attached PDF are some images of what appear to be three sheet metal repairs where the firewall meets the lower fuselage skin. I don't know Mooneys as well as I'd like to (yet), but with sheet metal screws holding them in place it just doesn't seem original. Also noteworthy is the somewhat uneven skin aft of the firewall on both sides of the airplane. That might be nothing but in the context of the other I thought it worth noting. Note also that the NLG was replaced again a few years ago (tugging incident) and again within the last six months after yet another tugging incident. This most recent one resulted in all new NLG parts and gear doors (that's why they look new in the pictures...they are), but still no mention of the sheet metal work on these entries. Could those be as the aiplace came from the factory? I should mention the airplane otherwise appears to have been well-maintained, and the current owner (7 years?) does not seem to have had any issues investing in the airplane. I'd be grateful for your thoughts. One more thing...the tail skid shows evidence of ground contact. Scraping and bending. I've seen scraping on Cherokees (trainers) before, but they tend to be beefier and I've never seen them bent. This is a view directly up. Thanks in advance. (The arrows I put into the images are for orientation (White/Red) and to note the questionable areas (Yellow). The points don't point directly to any exact point, just generally to the area I'm pointing out) Nose Gear Repair.pdf Tail Skid.pdf