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Stuck Throttle while taxing


Tavo

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I am new to this forum and a new Mooney Pilot. 
Got a M20R 3 weeks ago. Mooney Total Time 1080 hrs. 

I have 12 hours in it (total 700 hrs on other aircraft)

This morning, while taxing to the runup area, my throttle got stuck at 1100rpm. It won't turn or won't let me push or pull. Just stuck, solid. The push button was all the way out as normal, push button won't go in or out either. I kept turning left trying to lower the RPM or get some response and while turning left the push button came out with a piece of metal about 9" long and a spring. 

Had to tow it back to my hangar

My mechanic will take a look at it later today. I'll report. 

If anyone has any idea or recommendations it will be greatly appreciated. 

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You’ll probably need a need new throttle control cable/assembly.  McFarlane just replaced our M20C last week.  It’s pretty straight forward.  The only tricky part for a M20C was a cut out for the gear warning / MP switch.   That made it a custom order...not sure about on an Ovation.

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Be thankful. The woman who was the Chief Pilot at the flight school where I got my PPL quite awhile ago had that happen in the air, in the winter. She was checking out another instructor, they were conducting engine out operations in a rural area west of the Minneapolis metro, and the throttle stuck at low power. She had to make an offield in a farmers field, then walk for help. No damage to anyone or anything, but not a good situation. If it was going to happen, be glad it happened while you were on the ground, in fact, be ecstatic.

PS - the aircraft was a J. It is still flying.

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17 minutes ago, Tom 4536 said:

Just had to replace my throttle cable in my 231. McFarlane promised to build and send a new cable within 4 days but It took 7 weeks. Didn't seem to be any other choice.

Bummer.   I just sent mine to them this morning.   Sunday just as I pulled power on downwind to land it wouldn't come back more than halfway.    It had been notchy for a while and I knew it was the cable, but this time it stuck hard for bit, freed up, and then did it again.   Managed to land and get back to the hangar, and since my mag was due for 500 hr inspection, anyway, I just took it all out and sent it off.

McFarlane made me a new prop cable a while back and that went pretty smoothly other than they put 3/4" hardware on it instead of whatever smaller size had been there before, which made it a LOT harder to reinstall.   This time I asked them to use the smaller hardware.   We'll see how long it takes.

 

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Welcome aboard Tavo!

That is a unique first post... 

Glad you you got that challenge while on the ground...

You have enough data above to acquire a proper replacement...

It would be great if you can post a pic of the broken parts...

 

Typically engine controls get swapped out at the time of OH...

Any idea how many hours you have on that control?

Best regards,

-a-

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  • 1 year later...
On 3/9/2021 at 12:03 PM, Tavo said:

I am new to this forum and a new Mooney Pilot. 
Got a M20R 3 weeks ago. Mooney Total Time 1080 hrs. 

I have 12 hours in it (total 700 hrs on other aircraft)

This morning, while taxing to the runup area, my throttle got stuck at 1100rpm. It won't turn or won't let me push or pull. Just stuck, solid. The push button was all the way out as normal, push button won't go in or out either. I kept turning left trying to lower the RPM or get some response and while turning left the push button came out with a piece of metal about 9" long and a spring. 

Had to tow it back to my hangar

My mechanic will take a look at it later today. I'll report. 

If anyone has any idea or recommendations it will be greatly appreciated. 

Did you ever check the logs to see if this service bulletin had been done?  https://www.mooney.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SBM20-310A.pdf

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Tavo reporting back. Sorry I went radio silent. I just received today an email with the follow up postings.

All good with the new throttle. Back then I replaced it with the recommended McFarlane. Has been working great. Already put +200 hours in my Ovation in the last 12 months. All fun hours. Mountain flights in Colorado, Back and forth twice from Denver to Florida, 6 times from Tampa to the Bahamas, and keep enjoying it. 

Thanks to the different posts about this subject, now is built in my mind to expect a throttle failure anytime, maybe not a concern for most pilots but doesn't hurt to expect it and have a plan B in  your head. 

Safe flights everyone.

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7 hours ago, Tavo said:

Tavo reporting back. Sorry I went radio silent. I just received today an email with the follow up postings.

All good with the new throttle. Back then I replaced it with the recommended McFarlane. Has been working great. Already put +200 hours in my Ovation in the last 12 months. All fun hours. Mountain flights in Colorado, Back and forth twice from Denver to Florida, 6 times from Tampa to the Bahamas, and keep enjoying it. 

Thanks to the different posts about this subject, now is built in my mind to expect a throttle failure anytime, maybe not a concern for most pilots but doesn't hurt to expect it and have a plan B in  your head. 

Safe flights everyone.

Nice to see you again Tavo!

:)

Go O!

-a-

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23 hours ago, Tavo said:

Tavo reporting back. Sorry I went radio silent. I just received today an email with the follow up postings.

All good with the new throttle. Back then I replaced it with the recommended McFarlane. Has been working great. Already put +200 hours in my Ovation in the last 12 months. All fun hours. Mountain flights in Colorado, Back and forth twice from Denver to Florida, 6 times from Tampa to the Bahamas, and keep enjoying it. 

Thanks to the different posts about this subject, now is built in my mind to expect a throttle failure anytime, maybe not a concern for most pilots but doesn't hurt to expect it and have a plan B in  your head. 

Safe flights everyone.

The reason I asked this: "Did you ever check the logs to see if this service bulletin had been done?  https://www.mooney.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SBM20-310A.pdf" is that your serial number falls in the range of the Throttle Control Bracket Mounting possibly being installed wrong, maybe contributing to this.  My throttle stuck shut after landing and getting off the runway yesterday and we'll be looking at this with Brian Kendrick tomorrow.

(I got the throttle cable unstuck by tapping on the button with a rubber mallet, but in looking over the service bulletin my throttle control bracket is one of those that was installed upside down.)

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On 3/10/2021 at 2:40 AM, RobertGary1 said:

Probably not a bad idea but I don’t know anyone who does that. 

Honestly by the time you replace all the hoses, the alternator, starter, fuel and vacuum pumps, boost pump, oil cooler, which are all good ideas, it runs into a pile of money to say nothing of engine control cables.

I didn’t do starter, alternator, oil cooler or engine cables on my last overhaul and it didn’t bite me.

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On 4/9/2022 at 11:41 AM, LANCECASPER said:

The reason I asked this: "Did you ever check the logs to see if this service bulletin had been done?  https://www.mooney.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SBM20-310A.pdf" is that your serial number falls in the range of the Throttle Control Bracket Mounting possibly being installed wrong, maybe contributing to this.  My throttle stuck shut after landing and getting off the runway yesterday and we'll be looking at this with Brian Kendrick tomorrow.

(I got the throttle cable unstuck by tapping on the button with a rubber mallet, but in looking over the service bulletin my throttle control bracket is one of those that was installed upside down.)

Brian made a hangar call tonight and did the service bulletin. All is well.

1303412113_ScreenShot2022-04-10at9_25_09PM.thumb.png.87c43855f6c22362b6ccb61d00da5b9d.png

 

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17 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Honestly by the time you replace all the hoses, the alternator, starter, fuel and vacuum pumps, boost pump, oil cooler, which are all good ideas, it runs into a pile of money to say nothing of engine control cables.

I didn’t do starter, alternator, oil cooler or engine cables on my last overhaul and it didn’t bite me.

My engine failure was unexpected so I wasn’t in overhaul mindset. I later replaced every hose and the oil cooler hoses would have been easier :) Lycoming throws the alternator in with new engines. 

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