An Absolutely Horrible Day!

[Tommy]

Do you have any photos showing how they did the front jack? 

[aviatoreb]

7 hours ago, donkaye said:

Yes, it fell off the front jack, probably inspecting the donuts.  Luckily, I have an instrument student tomorrow morning and I get to choose where we go.  We're going over to Stockton to practice.

Oh boy that's terrible.

Well then it could have been much worse.  Worse- if the wheels where not in the down position then the airframe would have been injured?  Much worse, no person was underneath the plane at the time since that could have been very bad.

[aviatoreb]

7 hours ago, donkaye said:

Fell off the front jack.

Were the wheels in the down position?

[Guest]

This really sucks for both parties involved.  I’m sure that the shop feels just as badly as Don does.  Luckily no one was hurt that we know of.

It’s a bit early to blame the shop entirely when no one knows what really happened yet.  Did the jack fail? Did the jack point fail? Poor technique or method?

Clarence

[Mooneymite]

7 hours ago, donkaye said:

Fell off the front jack.

Whew!  I thought you were going to say the tail tie-down ring failed, or the tail came loose.....

Good thing they didn't use the dreaded tail tie down method.  

[steingar]

Welcome to my life.  And yeah, getting the insurance company to pay the claim on mine was like pulling teeth. I hope they can make your airplane all better, Don.  I always dread annuals.

[donkaye]

4 hours ago, Tommy said:

Do you have any photos showing how they did the front jack? 

I have a photo that I was going to post, but I can't get it off the phone.  I'll be over there later today and take some more pictures.  It looks pretty sad.

[donkaye]

2 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

Were the wheels in the down position?

At least that is one good thing.  They were down, but the nose wheel truss totally collapsed and broke, which caused  2 blades on the prop to be bent and damaged the engine.  Thankfully no-one was injured.

[donkaye]

1 hour ago, M20Doc said:

This really sucks for both parties involved.  I’m sure that the shop feels just as badly as Don does.  Luckily no one was hurt that we know of.

It’s a bit early to blame the shop entirely when no one knows what really happened yet.  Did the jack fail? Did the jack point fail? Poor technique or method?

Clarence

No sure, yet.  It was their most experienced mechanic.  I'll find out the whole story later today when I get over there.

[flyboy0681]

10 hours ago, Cruiser said:

your insurance should cover a replacement airplane during repairs, perhaps a new model from Kerrville.

I guess it depends on the policy. When our plane was down for seven full months, our policy allowed for just one months rental period.

[rpcc]

Ugh.  One comment, I think this is not your insurance companies problem but your vendors insurance companies problem.  In this case,  I believe they should make it right for you.  I would seek some advice from an insurance professional and possibly an aviation attorney.  They should provide you with a plane durring the downtime as well.

Good luck with this.

[Mooney in Oz]

14 hours ago, donkaye said:

Dr. Bob Achtel, a very good friend of mine once quoted someone else that "an Annual is a time where you take in a perfectly good airplane and get one back that doesn't work".  Today was that day.  While accidents do happen, why did it have to be my airplane???

While I didn't get the full story, sufficed it to say that while doing the inspection, the nose of the airplane was dropped.  Several blades of the prop were bent and the nose truss was destroyed.  I was informed that the engine is a tear down.

Looks like several months before it is back together again.  Out the window goes our trip to Don Maxwell's event.

There may be an upside.  I'm considering a new engine.  I don't want a tear down and rebuild.  Definitely a new prop.  But no airplane for months!!!

I’m so sorry to read all of this Don. I clearly remember you showing me your beautiful Bravo at Homecoming, 9 years ago and saying what an expensive engine it has. I have no doubt you’ll ensure at the end your bird will be as good as, if not better than before. I sincerely hope it won’t be too painful for you. 

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, rpcc said:

Ugh.  One comment, I think this is not your insurance companies problem but your vendors insurance companies problem.  In this case,  I believe they should make it right for you.  I would seek some advice from an insurance professional and possibly an aviation attorney.  They should provide you with a plane durring the downtime as well.

Good luck with this.

Agreed.  Normally the shop and their insurance should cover the damage.  Don’s insurance should only need to be involved if the shop insurance won’t come good for the repairs.  Then Don’s insurance would cover the repairs and sue and settle with the shop and their insurance.

Handled  professionally it should all be worked out.

Clarence

[Txbyker]

I wonder why Mooney issued the 2008 Service Instruction to use an A-Frame hoist up to the "L" models but not the long bodies. 

Russ

 

M20-114.pdf

[slowflyin]

1 hour ago, donkaye said:

At least that is one good thing.  They were down, but the nose wheel truss totally collapsed and broke, which caused  2 blades on the prop to be bent and damaged the engine.  Thankfully no-one was injured.

Amen on the lack of injuries.  Respect for your positive attitude.  Airplanes can be fixed.   Still so very sorry this happened.  

[MARZ]

1 hour ago, donkaye said:

At least that is one good thing.  They were down, but the nose wheel truss totally collapsed and broke, which caused  2 blades on the prop to be bent and damaged the engine.  Thankfully no-one was injured.

Wow - how high did they have the thing jacked up?  I can't justify needing to go more than an inch or two to pull the wheel or swing the gear, and a drop from an inch or two certainly shouldn't impart enough shock to collapse the truss......  

[Jerry 5TJ]

The MSC nearby in Maryland used four jacks to raise my Ovation, with one under the tail to make sure the nose jack point never becomes unloaded and to add yaw stability while jacked. They seemed hyper cautious & I begin to see why. 

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Mike Ropers said:

Wow - how high did they have the thing jacked up?  I can't justify needing to go more than an inch or two to pull the wheel or swing the gear, and a drop from an inch or two certainly shouldn't impart enough shock to collapse the truss......  

My thoughts exactly!

[hypertech]

41 minutes ago, Jerry 5TJ said:

The MSC nearby in Maryland used four jacks to raise my Ovation, with one under the tail to make sure the nose jack point never becomes unloaded and to add yaw stability while jacked. They seemed hyper cautious & I begin to see why. 

I don't think I've ever noticed a nose jack point on my ovation.  Anyone have a picture of it?  We used a hoist to lift it for the annual.  A jack point would be easier - but if its a little bit unstable, is it safer to stick with the hoist?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Jerry 5TJ said:

The MSC nearby in Maryland used four jacks to raise my Ovation, with one under the tail to make sure the nose jack point never becomes unloaded and to add yaw stability while jacked. They seemed hyper cautious & I begin to see why. 

Exactly what we do in my shop.

Clarence

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, hypertech said:

I don't think I've ever noticed a nose jack point on my ovation.  Anyone have a picture of it?  We used a hoist to lift it for the annual.  A jack point would be easier - but if its a little bit unstable, is it safer to stick with the hoist?

Here you go, from the IPC.  The maintenance manual doesn’t show it clearly.

Edited September 28, 2018 by M20Doc

[kmyfm20s]

So what prop are you going to put on it? 

[Txbyker]

On 9/28/2018 at 11:34 AM, hypertech said:

I don't think I've ever noticed a nose jack point on my ovation.  Anyone have a picture of it?  We used a hoist to lift it for the annual.  A jack point would be easier - but if its a little bit unstable, is it safer to stick with the hoist?

 

 

[Guest]

As sad as this is for Don, this is a very fitting thread.  How many of you who hire a freelance maintainer check to see if they have adequate shop insurance.  How many check to see if they have manuals to cover your airframe.  The number of people that I’ve helped with manuals leads me to think that many don’t.

Then one of my favourite peeves, improper jacks,  there are many posts on this forum showing examples of homemade jacks.  Some are things of beauty that rival commercial versions, others are down right scary, like the one above, made of EMT conduit, hose clamps and an old table top.

If you jack or allow your fine airplane to be raised on something like this you’re a fool.  It could be your airplane damaged if it fails or worse your life or that of your maintainer.

Clarence

[hypertech]

18 minutes ago, Txbyker said:

 

Thanks!

 

So, that's what that is.  I noticed that because it sort of gets in the way of the exhaust hangers on that side and makes the exhaust closer to the door.  But I had no idea what it was for.