Airworthiness Date vs Manufacture Date

[Bob R]

I have a “1968” M20E according to the FAA. My airworthiness certificate is 1968. However, according to Mooney, they did not produce the M20E in 1968. They did produce the model in 1967 and 1969, as well as others obviously. My serial number indicates a 1969 model, 690007. Can anyone shed any light on this or am I wrong? If I am correct, I would like to get the manufacture year straightened out with the FAA.

I appreciate any insight.

[carusoam]

The 69 at the beginning of the serial number gives a hint to what model year it is...

The date of your plane’s actual AW flight is in your airframe Log Book...

See if you have Bill Wheat’s signature in your log book.

There is a thread around here honoring Bill Wheat... people posted his signature in their AW page...

There is also a thread around here that details what date means what for whatever purpose...

Total read time of the logs will be about a minute and a half... it’s somewhere in the first few pages after the paint details...

So...

If you have a logged AW flight signed in ‘68, the plane was manufactured before 69 could begin...

what would be the advantage of bring this up to the FAA? Sounds like some interesting challenges that doesn’t seem to have an obvious pay-off?

Best regards,

-a-

[Bob R]

Just now, carusoam said:

The 69 at the beginning of the serial number gives a hint to what model year it is...

The date of your plane’s actual AW flight is in your airframe Log Book...

See if you have Bill Wheat’s signature in your log book.

There is a thread around here honoring Bill Wheat... people posted his signature in their AW page...

Total read time of the logs will be about a minute and a half... it’s somewhere in the first few pages after the paint details...

Best regards,

-a-

Unfortunately that will be an issue. Previous owner lost that book somehow. As I understand it, when this bird went on it’s test flight at the factory, the initial landing had a nose wheel collapse due to some piece of hardware missing. Obviously it was completely restored to factory new but that is all I know. I did speak to the FAA about straightening this out, but they passed the buck to my local FSDO, who apparently does not know how to use a phone.

[carusoam]

See if I have this right...

1) you have no date of AW data to bring to the recommended FSDO...

2) To change the date of manufacture for your plane...

3) When the FAA records seem to use the serial numbers that were probably supplied to the FAA by Mooney...

4) The FSDO doesn’t call back...

 

Sounds like... in lieu of actual data in your hands... you might be able to find actual data in Mooney’s hands?

 

See if you can find a reason that makes this sound interesting to have somebody at Mooney copy a page out of some manufacturing records for you...

Share the interesting reason here, and somebody else may have the information that you are looking for...

PP thoughts only, not a documentation expert...

Best regards,

-a-

[DMM]

I have a 64 model M20E. This was the first year they were produced. The AW cert was signed  Oct 1963.  So Mooney considers it a 1964 model but the FAA lists it as a 1963 since they use the cert date. 

As a side note, M.C Pearce was the test pilot and the plane flew for the first time on 9-28-63 (1.5 hours)

[Hank]

Just like cars, model years and manufacturing dates may not match. Some Model Year 2020 cars are already available. Your '69 model could have been manufactured and even sold in late '68.

[vorlon1]

1 hour ago, carusoam said:

The 69 at the beginning of the serial number gives a hint to what model year it is...

The date of your plane’s actual AW flight is in your airframe Log Book...

See if you have Bill Wheat’s signature in your log book.

There is a thread around here honoring Bill Wheat... people posted his signature in their AW page...

There is also a thread around here that details what date means what for whatever purpose...

Total read time of the logs will be about a minute and a half... it’s somewhere in the first few pages after the paint details...

So...

If you have a logged AW flight signed in ‘68, the plane was manufactured before 69 could begin...

what would be the advantage of bring this up to the FAA? Sounds like some interesting challenges that doesn’t seem to have an obvious pay-off?

Best regards,

-a-

Not to derail,  but is this Bill in my 67C book?

[carusoam]

Let’s get a good look...

Then Compare to the others...

 

What you have there... is a Thomas D. Webb!

You May See Thomas sign the cert of AW, and Bill sign off the AW flight separately...

Bill had large readable W E W when signing....

best regards,

-a-

[RLCarter]

This seems like a common error in at least earlier aircraft, vehicles come with an MSO (Manufactures Statement of Origin) and state titles are issued from it. Since there is no MSO's or titles on aircraft the FAA uses the a date from the Airworthiness Certificate. When I did the ADS-B rebate on my E, one of the things to check was if all the info on the FAA register was correct, mine was actually missing the year model. A quick search on the FAA's site produced a phone number to call for registrations, 10 minutes later it was done, didnt ask any questions or have me send anything in..... quick and simple

[DMM]

Webb signed mine too.  DMIR - Designated Manufacturing Inspection Representative