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Auto Pilot Failure - KFC 200 - Suggestions?


Seth

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Hi MooneySpace-

I have had an autopilot failure in my 1983 Mooney M20J Missile 300.  It is the factory King KFC 200 autopilot.  I had it adjusted in 2011 when I purchased it has performed nearly flawlessly ever since - until yesterday.

I flew from GAI (Maryland just outside Washington, DC) to Peoria, IL - about a 3.5 hour flight.

When in the climb once clear of the SFRA and after picking up my IFR clearance, I set the autopilot and the plane immediately made a hard left turn and dropped the nose.  I disengaged the autopilot.  I figured I may have hit the backcourse button.  I hit Flight Director, then NAV, indicating I was coupled, I engaged the autopilot, and again, a few seconds later, hard left bank with a dropping nose.

I disconnected again.  I have hand flown acrross the entire United States and in all sorts of weather in my former 1967 M20F so I had no qualms hand flying, I just was not at the top of my game.  By two hours into the flight, my scan and skills were back where they should be.  I later made a flight into Chicago's airspace and landed at KPWK (Chicago Executive) to stay with my brother for the night.  I have meetings in Mequon, Wisconsin today, and then I take a few days off and visit Oshkosh.

Troubleshooting:  

It seems in any mode, when the flight director commands the autopilot to turn right, nothing happens.  When the autopilot commands the plane to turn left, it does, but since no right turn works, the plane continues to steepen it's left turn.  Even the straight and level just AP on function slowly starts drifting left and then banking a diving to the left as the left command is sent.  I'm not sure if the left command stays on or simply once selected, it can't go right, thus doesn't even level.  Even altitude hold mode only, since it uses the straight and level feature, slowly ends up processing to the left when a left correction is needed.  Not sure if it holds altitude in the left turn.

So:  Collective Wisdom:

1.  Is it a bad servo

2.  Is it a bad control board

3.  Where should I take it?  Local shop?  Autopilot's central in Texas?  The place in Tennessee that's similar?

4.  I'll be at Oshkosh - any suggestions?  Bendix / King booth?

Thanks!

-Seth

 

 

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