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3 kids on the back bench

Houman

By Houman
in General Mooney Talk

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Houman Mentor

Houman

Posted
Posted

I was wondering if it is possible to add a 3rd seat belt on the back bench and if so how, so that I can have 3 kids on the back bench in my Mooney.

Want to make sure it would be legal and feasible, since w&b will not be an issue,

Thanks !!!

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kerry Mentor

kerry

Posted
Posted

When my kids were small I did it all the time.  I only used the 2 seat belts for the 3 kids on the back bench.  Legally you can use one seat belt for two people as long as their combined weight is less than 160 lbs.  Might be 170 lbs (it's been awhile since I looked it up).

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Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure it would be legal without an STC. The type certificate shows 4 seats and list the plane as a 4 seater, your insurance is for 4 seats.

There is an STC for a fifth seat and seat belt in the Piper Comanche, but I've never seen one for a Mooney.

Clarence

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carusoam Grand Master

carusoam

Posted
Posted

There is another thread that may have some answers...

There was a couple of Os delivered with extra seat belts for three across. Of course, Os often don't have a bench in back to facilitate the third position...

There was a rule that allowed for seat belt sharing. The people had to have a maximum total weight. The people also needed to be similar in size.

The shared seat belt rule may have been removed. It is often better than nothing, but not by much, with no science or actual crash testing to support it...

Back in the day...The C used to carry three across the back this way...

Best regards,

-a-

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Yooper Rocketman Veteran

Yooper Rocketman

Posted
Posted

I was wondering if it is possible to add a 3rd seat belt on the back bench and if so how, so that I can have 3 kids on the back bench in my Mooney.

Want to make sure it would be legal and feasible, since w&b will not be an issue,

Thanks !!!

 

 

When my kids were small I did it all the time.  I only used the 2 seat belts for the 3 kids on the back bench.  Legally you can use one seat belt for two people as long as their combined weight is less than 160 lbs.  Might be 170 lbs (it's been awhile since I looked it up).

As Kerry said, I too did it all the time when my kids were younger.  I have a daughter that is 12 years older than my first son, and my second son is 10 months younger than the first son (yes, we had a private room in the hospital  :lol: ).  Many years ago we landed in Buffalo for a fuel stop on our way to Cape Cod and who's on the ramp but Governor Pataki and his entourage coming off a jet.  At the time I wasn't sure it was legal so made my daughter and one son stay in the plane until the rest of us were in the FBO, hoping no one would notice 5 people getting out of a 4 seat airplane.  Did some research afterwards and found we were perfectly legal.  Still do it today with Young Eagles on our annual airport day.  On long flights, when the air is smooth, we always let the back seat passengers unbuckle until landing.

 

Forgot to mention, I don't even have a bench seat, have the two separate seats with a gap between them.  We always laid a rolled up blanket in the gap, and another blanket across the whole area the 2 would be sitting.  They needed a little boost anyway to see out the window.

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M20S Driver Experienced

M20S Driver

Posted
Posted

This is from upgrades list at Mooney's website:

 

(Bench Seat 940091-501)---- Install rear bench seat with seat belts for 3 children 

M20M 27-0181, 27-0184 & on, M20R 29-0001 &  on, M20S 30-0001 & on

 

I am not sure about price, availability, or STC requirements.

 

Driver

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Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

This is from upgrades list at Mooney's website:

(Bench Seat 940091-501)---- Install rear bench seat with seat belts for 3 children

M20M 27-0181, 27-0184 & on, M20R 29-0001 & on, M20S 30-0001 & on

I am not sure about price, availability, or STC requirements.

Driver

Well there you go, I learned something else today on Mooney Space. Thanks!

Clarence

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takair Grand Master

takair

Posted
Posted

Basic TCDS is 4 people, as stated above, however I found this in another forum.

FAA Interpretation 1990-14 regarding FAR 91.14(a)(3) [which is now FAR 91:107(a)©]: "As long as approved safety belts are carried aboard the aircraft for all occupants, and the structural strength requirements for the seats are not exceeded, the seating of two persons whose combined weights does not exceed 170 pounds under one safety belt where the belt can be properly secured around both persons would not be a violation of the regulations for an operation under Part 91." AOPA's subject report, Traveling with Children and Family, is available on AOPA Online.

I would still wonder what would happen to the occupants of a single belt. The geometry of the belt stretching would tend to put both in the same place....

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xcrmckenna Veteran

xcrmckenna

Posted
Posted

I wonder what the significance of 170lbs is? There are plenty of pilots and passengers that weigh over 170lbs yet the belts are strong enough for them. Why would one body that is 250lbs be okay but not two at 200lbs?

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  • 5 months later...
Will W Collaborator

Will W

Posted
Posted (edited)

I know this is brining to light an old thread but I found the POH/AFM Supplement for this bench seat on Mooney's website. It looks like the benefits will not last forever since the limitations don't allow for a normal sized adult.

 

AFMS Bench Seat.pdf

Edited by dimondan
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Houman Mentor

Houman

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I know this is brining to light an old thread but I found the POH/AFM Supplement for this bench seat on Mooney's website. It looks like the benefits will not last forever since the limitations don't allow for a normal sized adult.

 

AFMS Bench Seat.pdf

I talked to Steve Rue and someone else at Mooney, it seems that there is no possibility of a 3 bench seat for the K model. What Steve was supprised with was the fact that I have already a bench in the back ( I guess some have 2 seat cushions ), but I have a full bench, but no way of adding a 3rd seatbelt legally.

that is a big bummer, since it seems very easy to do to add a 3rd seat belts to the same middel fix points for the existing seat belt fixtures.

Too bad...

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  • 5 years later...

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