Roger O Posted April 26, 2014 Report Posted April 26, 2014 Hi everyone, to make a very long story short, following a right gear collapse of my beloved M20C N8080Q, upon landing, the insurance company totaled the plane, I took the money, and have been planeless for the past 13 years! Now armed with a new wife, a new life and deep desire to fly again, It is time to get back into a Mooney. I am looking for a C or E model with IFR avionics ready to fly. It doesn't have to be a show winner, but not in need of major work either. I am located in Connecticut, and would appreciate if anyone who knows of one for sale please let me know by PM. Thanks! Roger 1
mooneygirl Posted April 26, 2014 Report Posted April 26, 2014 Welcome back! I would also suggest checking out the classified ads in the MAPA Log. It is well worth it to re-start your membership. Good luck in your search!
fantom Posted April 26, 2014 Report Posted April 26, 2014 Controller, ASO, Barnstormers, TAP, and this site are also good places to keep an eye on. Welcome back and welcome aboard.
Mooneymite Posted April 27, 2014 Report Posted April 27, 2014 Probably coincidence. This just showed up on our neighborhood email. I have no personal knowledge of the aircraft, or owner. I'm just passing the info along, but it might be a deal: MOONEY FOR SALE 1967 C Model SN#670022 TT2965 Eng S/M 1469, ECI cylinders, Garmin 300XL (IFR), GTX327 xponder, S-tec 30 auto pilot, new bat G-35S in 2012, O/N fuel bladders, 54.8 usable fuel with blad. tanks, prop overhaul 4/08 new hub instaled to comply with AD & SB, all manuals: shop, parts, eng. 201 one piece w/shield, JPI fuel flow meter, PTT on both yokes, 4 place intercom, GEM-602 eng monitor, Garmin 100 GPS(vfr) , nite light inst lights, hinge cover installed, cowling enc., flap gap seals, brake wheel rotated, (stc), lndg gear disc replaced in 2006. Asking $37,500. Call Don Cook 678-481-5186 doncookatp@gmail.com
PTK Posted April 27, 2014 Report Posted April 27, 2014 Roger, it may be worth your while to speak with Dave Mathiesen at AirMods in NJ, (N87.) As you probably know Airmods is a very reputable MSC and Dave is a highly regarded Mooney mechanic and guru. He locates and sells solid planes and may guide you in the right direction. Also Dorn at Weber in LNS is an excellent resource. My feeling is when buying a used Mooney it's best to start with a top MSC. They see a lot of them and therefore know their history and owner's philosophy towards maintenance. This is invaluable information. Welcome back!
Roger O Posted April 27, 2014 Author Report Posted April 27, 2014 Thank you all for your kind words. This is a very special community, and it feels like home! I have been looking at all of the "commercial" online selling site (TAP, Controller etc.), and although I realize it is a start, I would much rather buy from someone who belongs here or MAPA.
PLN_FXR Posted April 27, 2014 Report Posted April 27, 2014 Lake Aero Styling and Repair (LASAR - http://www.lasar.com/ ) often lists several C & E models for sale. I realize they are on the other side of the country, but they know Mooneys quite well. There is also a '65 C-model that will be up for sale soon in MN, but in need of paint and avionics (at under $20K the price is right, though). Do you know why your main gear collapsed? Properly rigged the landing gear system on a Mooney is pretty trouble-free, which leaves me curious.
Rwsavory Posted April 27, 2014 Report Posted April 27, 2014 This one looks nice: http://mooneyspace.com/topic/11955-66-e-for-sale/
Roger O Posted April 27, 2014 Author Report Posted April 27, 2014 The gear collapsed because of a failed fitting in the gear train (it was awhile ago, and I don't remember exactly which one). My anger and frustration is that I had just had a major overhaul and inspection at one of Florida's west coast specialty houses a few weeks before. Apparently the corroded part that failed was overlooked. When I went to extend the gear (electric gear), it just didn'r "feel right" even though I got a green gear down indication. I recycled the gear several times, and even overflew the airport and the tower said all looked good. I landed slowly, but as soon as weight was on the right main, it collapsed causing major damage to the plane. My only regret is that I should have had it rebuilt instead of giving it to the insurance company, but I was fed up and angry. The FAA investigation concluded simply that "it happens, no one's fault". The saving grace of all of this is that my brother and nephew and me who were in the plane, walked away thank God, without so much as a scratch.
fantom Posted April 28, 2014 Report Posted April 28, 2014 The gear collapsed because of a failed fitting in the gear train (it was awhile ago, and I don't remember exactly which one). My anger and frustration is that I had just had a major overhaul and inspection at one of Florida's west coast specialty houses a few weeks before. Apparently the corroded part that failed was overlooked. Did the shop owner's first name happen to start with a 'C' or a 'T'?
Roger O Posted April 29, 2014 Author Report Posted April 29, 2014 No, it was the other one! By the way, I did notify the shop, but never received a reply, and I just dropped it. As you can understand it left me with a real bad taste about mod shops although I realize that it is more an indication of the quality of the individual shop and not all shops in general.
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