Grumman elevator failure @JYO

[Mooneymite]

Apparently the elevator failed in cruise.  The aircraft returned to JYO for this "landing".  No significant injuries are reported (yet).

 

[steingar]

I can't imagine the shoddy mechanical practices that lead to such a catastrophic failure.

[Mooneymite]

1 hour ago, steingar said:

I can't imagine the shoddy mechanical practices that lead to such a catastrophic failure.

Stuff happens. 

Let's see what the investigation reveals before we condemn anyone. 

[Marauder]

That has to be a pretty sick feeling trying to flare and no flare is a coming...

[Mooneymite]

What I'm hearing is that the instructor and student heard a "bang" during cruise flight and initially thought they'd lost the engine!

Once they determined the engine was making power, they figured out they had no elevator control.

Initial inspection looks like the stabilizer spar failed....and corrosion may be the culprit.  The aircraft was maintained by a flight school,  but the corrosion was not in an place that could be inspected, or at least not inspected using normal methods.

Seems kind of like the Piper wing spar debacle.

The GA fleet is aging and we all need to be aware of the dangers.  Very fortunate no lives were lost on this one!

Edited January 20, 2021 by Mooneymite

[carusoam]

Nice to have the video detail....

The challenge to consider while flying a broken plane... don’t change anything including airspeed... until you have to.

They handled it really well...

PP thoughts only, not a test pilot...

Best regards,

-a-

[Marauder]

This thread opens up a possible discussion. If we lose the elevator in our Mooneys, which is the best way to fly it? Since we have a moveable tail, can that alone work? Or is it a combination of power & trim? Or knowing the effect of flaps, do they play a role in handling an emergency like this?

I guess we would need to start off with failures modes. If the push pull rod breaks, what happens to the elevator in flight? Will the trim system still be functional?

[Mooneymite]

26 minutes ago, Marauder said:

This thread opens up a possible discussion. If we lose the elevator in our Mooneys, which is the best way to fly it? Since we have a moveable tail, can that alone work? Or is it a combination of power & trim? Or knowing the effect of flaps, do they play a role in handling an emergency like this?

I guess we would need to start off with failures modes. If the push pull rod breaks, what happens to the elevator in flight? Will the trim system still be functional?

And in this discussion, I presume "pull the chute" is not one of the answer choices?  

I think the trim works independently of the elevator, but on my aircraft, there is probably not enough back trim available to avoid a nose wheel first touch down at a normal approach speed.

As @carusoam would say, "just a pilot, not an aero engineer".

I guess I'll go out, disconnect my elevator and try it out....?  Maybe not.

[gsxrpilot]

22 minutes ago, Mooneymite said:

I think the trim works independently of the elevator, but on my aircraft, there is probably not enough back trim available to avoid a nose wheel first touch down at a normal approach speed.

I'm sure that with no flaps, I have enough trim to raise the nose even at slow speeds. My plan would be to use the trim and roll it on, a bit fast, and no flaps.

[tmo]

This one seems similar enough...

 

[Rusty Pilot]

Is it safe to assume a push/pull rod failure is much less likely than a cable failure?   When i review an incident like this I think how likely is this to happen in a Mooney and how can I address the emergency.

[Larry]

If you have the time, tell your wife to climb in the back seat.  She'll be safer and shift your cg a little (or a lot) to the rear.  Thoughts?

[carusoam]

Find the picture of the mount failure...   where the mount that attaches a control tube to the airframe in the tail...

Another control failure situation is the baggage door that wrapped around the horizontal stabilizer...

relatively recent discussions around here... possibly six months old...

Best regards,

-a-

[Mooneymite]

Interesting compilation of loss of flight control incidents:

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/88414main_H-2048.pdf

[Browncbr1]

I wonder if the repeated buffeting from training stalls had anything to do with accelerated fatigue.  

[GeeBee]

One of the things I have always considered about the AA series is how little can be inspected. I have always considered the airframe somewhat "disposable". It is very hard to spot adhesive failure in the structure which is a precursor to airframe failure. When you couple glue together structure with an inability to inspect nothing good comes of it. As was mentioned in the OP the failure occurred in an area not accessible for inspection. Not good in an aging airframes.