Mooney crash Friday in Germany

[aviatoreb]

I love those 4 blade MT props.  They would be fabulous on my plane.  All the big conty Mooneys are a bit nose heavy, Rocket's not least of which.  If I could put any prop on my airplane it would be this one:

http://www.mt-propeller.com/en/entw/stcs/cessna_340_2.htm

 

why-

-20 lbs lighter at the very tip of the nose, good for weight and balance.

-4 blades looks cool

-4 blades are smoother

-they claim faster and I find that plausible since the mcauley is a pretty old-school style 3-blade aerodynamically.  At least better climb

-it is already STC certified for the engine - the tsio520nb on its original application which is the cessna 340.

 

I want one....post part 23 rewrite can I get a different prop?

[carusoam]

For the O, the MT STC wasn't finished yet when I went with the TopProp...

I like the pounds lighter, turbine smooth, shorter T/O, no tear down after prop strike claims...

Would like to see the data on those claims as well.

Best regards,

-a-

[Mooneymite]

.... no tear down after prop strike claims...

-a-

 

Does Continental go along with this?  I'd be surprised if the engine manufacturer bought off on this idea....

 

Or the FAA!

[jetdriven]

How could Bud have "red-line torque" and "normal power indications" with feathered props?!

The only thing that changes is the N1 Prop RPM. everything else reads normal, except the torque. When you feather the props, the torque will redline. The governor commands rated takeoff RPM but it cant do that because of the feather.

 

Still, he sounded like he got lucky and two trees appeared to take the wings off. Still he nearly miscalculated his flight path and took the engine with a tree instead of just outside the engine. . Had he hit the cockpit at 120 knots, he wouldnt be around to write the story. That's about 6 feet at 120 knots. 

 

Its cool luck when it happens, taking the wings off with trees, but its like a EFATO runway turnback scenario. When it works, luck is a huge components of it and it works out spectacularly well. When it doesnt, its a closed casket funeral.

[kmyfm20s]

Luck is 90% hard work!

[kortopates]

Exactly right Dave, you have to wonder with a dewpoint spread down to 1C in the metars we're shown before the fog rolled in with the temp only able to go lower, why wasn't the pilot already considering his plan B out?

This could be an example reminder to continue risk management in the air after launching to be considering the Consequences of what is changing (e.g. narrow dew point spread, temperature dropping approaching sunset or past sunset etc); considering Alternatives - diverting; other landing options; the Reality of the conditions when getting there finding fog and asking himself/herself if his/her External Pressures to land at the planned destinations and perhaps avoid undesirable fees are interfering with his/her judgement? How about another quick review after the first failed landing attempt. Try again - really? The CARE checklist is just one way to walk oneself through the evaluation and decision making process that we should be considering whenever something changes.

[Mooney in Oz]

but you cant change direction quick enough to centerpunch between the two trees, hit one dead on and you are dead. Luck is nice but I cant remember ever reading about a pilot who tells the tale of steering between two trees.

Almost unheard of, but it has happened Byron. 

 

Many years ago at 2,000 feet over the suburbs of Sydney, Australia a friend of mine suffered an engine failure in his M20C due to a sudden, massive oil loss. His only choice was to glide his Mooney into a golf course within gliding distance.  It was a successful outcome as a result of the Mooney's exceptional gliding characteristics, touching down early enough at the right speed and deliberately rolling out between two close together trees toward the end of the fairway. Both wings were sheered off causing the aircraft to come to a complete stop.  He walked away without a scratch.  

 

Depending upon where you touch down and if you have sufficient control of the situation, rolling out between the trees is a manoeuvre that has to be done during the latter stage of landing. Plus the trees have to be there toward the end of the roll, close together with no others in the immediate front.

 

It was exceptional skill in my opinion to successfully land and stop on a golf course surrounded by houses in the middle of a city.  The Mooney is not a STOL aircraft and those fairways look rather short when viewed from above.

 

Victor

M20J