Might have just had an expensive visit to Dallas

[Parker_Woodruff]

So I went to Dallas Love Field this weekend to visit family and see my brother's graduation.  The FBO (to remain nameless) moved my plane about 3-4 times during the weekend.

I noticed after landing first in Waco, and then Kerrville that there's a popping feeling/noise coming from the left rudder pedal and associated linkage when I put a decent amount of pressure on the left rudder pedal in a turn.  I have to taxi VERY slowly to keep this from happening.

I'm thinking there's a good chance the FBO damaged it in their maneuvering of the aircraft on the ramp.  Does this sound like a symptom of a damaged truss or nosegear/rudder/rudder pedal linkage to you?

David from Dugosh was unable to get the feeling when moving the nosewheel left and right with the rudder pedal.  He was also not able to see any damage on what's visible without removing panels.  As an expensive precaution (2 ish hours labor), I'm going to have him put it up on jacks and remove the belly (1-piece) and look over everything in the associated linkage.

Insterested to know if anyone here has ever had this issue before or a similar issue.  I'm thinking about taking one of Don Maxwell's customer's advice and taping ketchup packets to the inside of the nosegear and if the packets break, the FBO went too far.

 

It's been an expensive last two months in an otherwise painless 16 months of Mooney ownership.

FYI the FBO has been responsive to my email which I sent yesterday.  I don't have the best eyes for this kind of stuff, but it's good to know there wasn't anything I missed when I gave the nosegear a good hard look before leaving DAL...as I always do after an FBO tugs the aircraft (rare).

[scottfromiowa]

Sorry to hear this Parker.  Hope it works out...

I am also extremely careful about allowing my plane to be towed.  (I try and watch whenever it is done)  Mooney's have such a shallow turn radius and the denting of the nose gear on a sharp turn either way under power is SO EASY.  I have paint off my nose truss on both sides, but NO DENTS!  I had a little shimmy,so installed the brass insert in my gear a year or so ago.

Not much you could do if they are re-positioning multiple times...regarding supervising your aircrafts movement...Bummer.

[231Pilot]

Several years ago I flew my M20C into KJAN for an overnight trip.  The following day, when I taxied into takeoff position, the rudder pedals felt a little strange, withmore resistance than usual on the right side.  When I took off, applying right rudder, after lift off there was a pop in the right rudder pedal, but rudder control was not affected.  When I landed at KGPT, there was NO right steering via therudder pedals, and I veered left, ending up in the grass on the left side.  Fortunately, I had good airspeed control during the landing, and therunwayat KGPT is 150' wide.  There was no collateral damage, but the FBO did have to tow me in to the shop for repair.  I couldn't prove the line personel at KJAN damaged the nose gear assembly, but it cost me about 1.5 AMUs to repair.  Since then, I have allowed no power towing of either of the Mooney aircraft I have owned.  For me, it was an expensive lesson learned.

[Parker_Woodruff]

as I write this from the parking lot of the La Quinta I'm currently living at, the power is out (so I can't get in my room, if so, it'd be pitch black anyways). We just had winds reported at 62 knots as a storm moved through. it had some light hail with it too.

Dugosh said they'd move it to their hangar to take the belly off at either the end of day today or first thing tomorrow. Maybe this nosegear thing wasn't the worst thing ever to happen. Otherwise might have a golf ball of a plane.

There's doors dangling off a couple hangars at ERV and none of the planes are straight in their tiedowns....

[roundout]

Does the FBO's name start with B? 

[Parker_Woodruff]

So Dugosh takes a look and they can't find a thing wrong with it over all ranges of motion both on jacks and in taxi...guess I'll pass on it as a fluke.

I'm going to have Don give it a visual inspection when I see him this weekend at his Fly-In in Longview, but I guess it's not an issue.

In 300+ hours of Mooneys M20C-M20K I've never felt anything like it.

[Parker_Woodruff]

 

[Mcstealth]

Looks fast even on Jacks!

 

[docket]

what is the fly in at Don's place?

[Parker_Woodruff]

Quote: docket

what is the fly in at Don's place?

[KSMooniac]

Docket, here ya go:
http://www.vintagemooneygroup.com/VMGSouthCentral/PREGGG2010.htm

 

[KLRDMD]