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Anyone know any info about this rocket for sale?

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kortopates Grand Master

kortopates

Posted
Posted

A plus is that his has 10 years and 300 hrs since the fine damage, so I wouldn’t necessarily eliminate it without a good review of the logs.
If the repairs where well done and essentially replacing damage parts and wiring with new it could effectively be in better condition than it’s age suggest.
But it’s also very possible it was totaled, sold as scrap and then resurrected as cheaply as possible. One has to review the damage and repairs to find out what is really being offered starting at $75.
Plus 30 hrs per year since the fire isn’t much but a recent Top helps with that too.


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1980Mooney Grand Master

1980Mooney

Posted
Posted

N231MN

  • April, 1983, when it was only 8 months since factory new, had a gear-up - "NDICATES PILOT INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR ON LANDING ROLLOUT. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION."
  • 2008 Prop Strike noted in advertisement - Not reported to FAA.  The plane was owned in Ohio at the time.
  • As @toto noted, August, 2014 - Pilot drained both batteries (1982 M20K - Rocket conversion is a 12volt system with 2 batteries in parallel in the rear of the tailcone.)  Pilot/owner asked FBO to fast charge the batteries.  FBO only had 28 volt charger.  Pilot confirmed to FBO that the Mooney was 24 volt.  Additionally, in the Docket the pilot states that the FBO asked him to sign a waiver before charging the batteries which he did.
    • The batteries blew up.  You can see that the battery box lid and perhaps batteries blew upwards hard enough to break the main empennage bulkhead and deform the skin.
    • The airframe had 3,162 hours at the time of the accident.
    • mooney.jpg.c58cac662753908773f54880759209e7.jpg At the end of

 

  • At the end of November, 2014, 3 1/2 months after the accident, the owner requested a Ferry Permit.  Investigation showed that that someone had worked on the damage and installed unapproved batteries.  No log entries were made of the accident or the unapproved repairs.
    • AN AIRCRAFT REQUESTED A FERRY PERMIT FOR MAINTENANCE AFTER EXPERIENCING A BATTERY FIRE/EXPLOSION. THE AIRCRAFT HAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE FRAME FORWARD OF THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT, THE CABIN AIR TUBE IS DISCONNECTED AS WELL AS CRUSHED. FIRE DAMAGE CAUSED MULTIPLE LINES, CABLES & HOSES TO MELT AND DETERIORATE THEREFORE, NEEDING EVALUATION FOR THEIR SERVICEABILITY AND INTEGRITY. FINALLY IT APPEARS AN ALTERNATE BATTERY WAS INSTALLED WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION, AS THE LOG BOOKS DO NOT CONTAIN BOTH THE RECENT FIRE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED AND BATTERY INSTALLATION AND THERE IS EVIDENCE OF EXTERIOR EMPENNAGE DAMAGE ON BOTH SIDES, FORWARD OF THE AIR SCOOP.
  • In February, 2017, the accident pilot/owner (had owned N231MN from April, 2011 to February 2017) sold the plane to an owner in Branson, MO.
  • In May, 2021 it was sold to an owner in Battlefield, MO.
  • In September, 2022 it was sold to an owner in Utah.  This appears to be the ad at the time.  It had 3,400 hours on the airframe. 

I agree with @kortopates that if repaired correctly and well, it is fine.  Note that the plane was not scrapped and repaired.  The doctor that owned it had it repaired and continue to fly it until 2017.

This could be a very good plane.  I am surprised that there are no bids.

 

McMooney Mentor

McMooney

Posted
Posted

honestly, i'd wonder why it ended up at auction?  auction aircraft scare me, is something really wrong with it ?  

gear up and prop strike is par for the course and old, no biggie.  blowing up is a bit much.  

i cant' see any flight history, has it been flying ?   if

this was at my airport and my mechanic said the airframe was 100%  i'd be interested,  overhaul the engine, add couple avionics and you could still come out close to even.

 

PeteMc Veteran

PeteMc

Posted
Posted

By any chance did the owner pass and the family is just selling the plane?  And they ended up on the auction site not knowing any dealers.

That *might* be one reason for the low price. 

 

 

MikeOH Grand Master

MikeOH

Posted
Posted

I note that the ad states, "May 2024 annual being performed"

Perhaps the non-completion of said annual may have something to do with the price?

1980Mooney Grand Master

1980Mooney

Posted
Posted

Maybe they’re just greedy and think they can get more in an auction in this environment.  I find it curious that they advertise the 2008 gear-up, which apparently was never reported yet they failed to mention the 2014 debacle which one can easily find on ASN.  
 

Has anyone seen the logs? I don’t see any mention of availability of the logs in the bid documents.

Fly Boomer Grand Master

Fly Boomer

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, 1980Mooney said:

Has anyone seen the logs? I don’t see any mention of availability of the logs in the bid documents.

I didn't try to download, but I saw a button or link for logs.

  • Thanks 1
AndreiC Rising Star

AndreiC

Posted
Posted

The $75k number is there just to attract interest. This is a reserve auction. They could just as well be asking $400k for all we know. 

1980Mooney Grand Master

1980Mooney

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

I didn't try to download, but I saw a button or link for logs.

Ok took a quick look at the logs. 
 

Apparently the Ferry Permit was not issued after they blew up the battery box. The logs say the Rocket was trucked from Florida to Texas to Don Maxwell’s shop for repairs. That is definitely a plus. It was probably better than new after Maxwell finished. 

1980Mooney Grand Master

1980Mooney

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, kortopates said:

A plus is that his has 10 years and 300 hrs since the fine damage, so I wouldn’t necessarily eliminate it without a good review of the logs.
If the repairs where well done and essentially replacing damage parts and wiring with new it could effectively be in better condition than it’s age suggest.
But it’s also very possible it was totaled, sold as scrap and then resurrected as cheaply as possible. One has to review the damage and repairs to find out what is really being offered starting at $75.
Plus 30 hrs per year since the fire isn’t much but a recent Top helps with that too.

Someone just bid $78,000 for it.....

geoffb Rising Star

geoffb

Posted
Posted

When I was shopping in 2020 the owner in Branson had it and had it listed for sale.  He gave me the rundown.  There was the battery blow up which resulted in it needing a complete rebuild of the tailcone.  It went to Maxwell I think.  There were lawsuits with the shop.  It got moved again.  The more he told me, the faster I ran away.

I like Rockets, a lot, but a lot of them seem to have sordid tales to tell.  Keep shopping, there are better examples of a Rocket out there.  Or look at Bravos, more to choose from and most seem to have been pretty well cared for.

wombat Experienced

wombat

Posted
Posted

I'm pretty happy with my rocket, but I'd also be basically just as happy with a FIKI Bravo.

AndreiC Rising Star

AndreiC

Posted
Posted

Does anyone know what it was bid up for? I don't want to make an account with them just to find out.

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