1998 M20R Ovation Gear Retraction Issue

[Dustoff49]

Hello All !  

My first post.   Bought N2126S July 24.  Great flying aircraft !  No issues after pre-buy/Annual June 24.   FL based,  flew to Ocala for Dinner last weekend.  Upon departure the gear would not retract, immediate Gear actuator CB (7.5amp) pops.   Reset tried again and same issue.  No Horn or gear unsafe light.  Flying to home base 15 mins away so left gear down and locked.  And of course seatbelt caught the Emergency Gear Latch... I didn't check it in flight but found it up after landing.  Researched it read the post, etc.   So figured relatching it would fix the issue.   Today I took a quick around the pattern flight and had the same issue.  Retract fail , No horn or gear unsafe light, CB Pops.  Immediately checked that the latch was secure on emergency gear and it was.  Reset it attempted gear down.  Same.   I didn't try the bypass button.  Figured its down and locked.  Back to hangar and going on jack stands.  Any recommendations?   Thanks, Jon L

[N201MKTurbo]

I would pull the handle just a little bit with the latch in the emergency position. It may have got jammed trying to use the motor to raise them with the latch in the wrong position.

[PT20J]

When the actuator breaker pops it's because the motor is jammed. Agree with @N201MKTurbo, but safest thing to do is to put it on jacks and work out the issue there with no loads on the gear. 

[Dustoff49]

I was considering the same jamming issue has happened.   I am hoping nothing was damaged.   I have yet to find an exact explanation or good picture of the small cables the latch and T handle engage.  To be clear  the 'T handle' was never pulled or moved.  But the diagram I have states flipping the latch up vertical is what engages the motor to manually pump the T handle so makes sense this has been jammed.   Thanks !

[PT20J]

To my knowledge the best available drawing of the emergency retraction mechanism in the actuator is in chapter 32 of the Service and Maintenance Manual.

The actuator has two drive systems that drive the same gear train which in turn rotates the ball screw to operate the landing gear: There is the normal motor and the recoil drive for the emergency gear extension. The recoil system is a one way ratcheting design; it can rotate the gear train to lower the gear but not raise it. There is a clutch to engage the recoil mechanism that is engaged by the lever in the cockpit. Because the recoil mechanism can only rotate in the down direction, it will stall the motor if the clutch is engaged and the gear is selected up electrically. The stalled motor draws excessive current and that pops the circuit breaker. 

If properly rigged, the coil spring located on the actuator clutch engagement arm should cause the lever in the cockpit to fully raise when it is unlatched which will in turn fully engage the clutch. If, for some reason the lever is not fully raised and the clutch is only partially engaged, operating the motor can damage the clutch mechanism.

I don't know why replacing the cockpit lever to the locked position will not allow the motor to operate. Usually that clears the problem. But, given that these actuators cost several thousand dollars to repair and parts are in short supply, if it were mine, I would put it on jacks, remove the belly panel and carefully investigate the situation to determine what's hung up.

[Ragsf15e]

I’m curious why the lever on these isn’t pinned with something like a cotter key or one of those breakable zip ties on fire extinguishers - something removable of course.  It seems that unlatching them accidentally happens a lot.

[PT20J]

10 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

I’m curious why the lever on these isn’t pinned with something like a cotter key or one of those breakable zip ties on fire extinguishers - something removable of course.  It seems that unlatching them accidentally happens a lot.

I suspect that when they were new, the spring latch held the handle securely. But, after years of use (the emergency system is supposed to be tested annually) and perhaps people stepping on them, the tang gets bent a bit. Mine is pretty secure. If it seems loose, I'd just bend it back a bit to hold the handle more securely. 

[A64Pilot]

6 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

I’m curious why the lever on these isn’t pinned with something like a cotter key or one of those breakable zip ties on fire extinguishers - something removable of course.  It seems that unlatching them accidentally happens a lot.

Good point, one I think worth considering.

Army we used copper safety wire on the emergency door releases on the OH-58 and UH-1 helicopters, worked fine there.

[Slick Nick]

On 2/8/2025 at 9:03 AM, Ragsf15e said:

I’m curious why the lever on these isn’t pinned with something like a cotter key or one of those breakable zip ties on fire extinguishers - something removable of course.  It seems that unlatching them accidentally happens a lot.

Just lift the handle, and bend the little tab back further. I was able to get almost a half inch engagement on mine. 

[A64Pilot]

18 hours ago, Slick Nick said:

Just lift the handle, and bend the little tab back further. I was able to get almost a half inch engagement on mine. 

That’s a thought, I looked yesterday and there wasn’t enough sticking out to drill a small hole in the handle for a small hitch pin, so I gave up on that idea

Doing this would be a major modification though, reason is because it changes the POH to include a step that says remove safety pin, but then the mods done on some baggage doors I’ve heard of would be too for the same reason.

In my opinion and it’s just an opinion there is merit I think in preventing accidental handle release.

[Andy95W]

1 hour ago, A64Pilot said:

That’s a thought, I looked yesterday and there wasn’t enough sticking out to drill a small hole in the handle for a small hitch pin, so I gave up on that idea

Doing this would be a major modification though, reason is because it changes the POH to include a step that says remove safety pin, but then the mods done on some baggage doors I’ve heard of would be too for the same reason.

In my opinion and it’s just an opinion there is merit I think in preventing accidental handle release.

Except that it doesn’t meet the FAA’s definition of a Major Alteration (see below).

At IA renewal seminars from my FSDO, they would say this would be a minor alteration, therefore approved by an IA, but annotated on a 337.  That 337- including verbiage that modifies the POH- then becomes a permanent part of the airplane’s records.

——————————————————-

Definitions provided in 14 CFR Part 1.1 state, “Major alteration means an alteration not listed in the aircraft, aircraft engine, or propeller specifications—

(1) That might appreciably affect weight, balance, structural strength, performance, powerplant operation, flight characteristics, or other qualities affecting airworthiness; or 

(2) That is not done according to accepted practices or cannot be done by elementary operations.” 

And “minor alteration means an alteration other than a major alteration.” 
—————————————————-

[A64Pilot]

A change in any Emergency procedure requires a change in the POH, changing the POH is a Major which requires as a min a 337. 

I even wouldn’t be surprised if you asked the FSDO if they wouldn’t require this to be an STC under theory it changes Type Design, but as 337’s are no longer reviewed unless you ask that’s not likely to happen.

An IA isn’t required to approve a minor alteration/ repair, those only require an A&P.

You know those definitions aren’t all inclusive, not even close.

I’ve given up on trying to convince people, many just want to believe what they want to. Just trying to bring up one possibility is all.

If I were just a Peter Pilot and decided to safety wire the thing with copper safety wire for example, I just might remove that wire when the airplane went into Annual for instance, have to anyway for extension test. But then no one but me ever flies my aircraft so there is no concern of someone unaware of it being safety wired flies the airplane. 

Not saying I would of course

Edited Wednesday at 02:48 PM by A64Pilot

[Andy95W]

7 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

A change in any Emergency procedure requires a change in the POH, changing the POH is a Major

Please provide your references that prove this is correct.

Then, if you’d like the challenge, what about those of us that don’t have a POH, but a simple old-fashioned Owners Manual?  Such as for your C140 or my M20C?

It’s true that different FSDOs interpret these things differently, and mine (Great Lakes FSDO) is more liberal than most.

But there are also a lot of opinions that have been passed down over the years as facts that aren’t true.

Here’s an example: 30 years ago when I first started working as an A&P apprentice, the Conventional Wisdom was that changing the instrument panel was a Major Alteration.  LASAR even sent sample 337s with their instrument panel retrofit kits.  Over time, those ideas changed and today shops change instrument panels as minor alterations without a second thought.

[PT20J]

If you adjust the latch like the factory built it, it doesn’t need a pin. 

[1980Mooney]

On 2/8/2025 at 11:17 AM, PT20J said:

I suspect that when they were new, the spring latch held the handle securely. But, after years of use (the emergency system is supposed to be tested annually) and perhaps people stepping on them, the tang gets bent a bit. Mine is pretty secure. If it seems loose, I'd just bend it back a bit to hold the handle more securely. 

I don't like to test the emergency system annually. 

Per Mark Rouch of Top Gun Aviation MSC:

"Another problem with the newer actuators is the wear on the emergency extension cable. It is Teflon coated and the Teflon can tear and peel loose and that loose Teflon can actually jam the actuator. It actually happened during a practice emergency landing gear extension.

My actuator is 45 years old.  I am not going to take the chance of damaging or wearing the emergency extension out (25 pulls each time) just to practice on jack stands.  If done every year it would have been subjected to at least 1,100 pulls. The last thing I want to do is write a check for $16,000 plus labor.

No I would not like:

Edited Wednesday at 05:20 PM by 1980Mooney

[1980Mooney]

1 hour ago, PT20J said:

If you adjust the latch like the factory built it, it doesn’t need a pin. 

I had a passenger once wedge something against the latch which popped it at some point in the flight.  Since then I put a piece of clear packing tape over the edge of the latch about 1 inch (end of tape folded over so it can be pulled easily).

[PT20J]

3 minutes ago, 1980Mooney said:

I had a passenger once wedge something against the latch which popped it at some point in the flight.  Since then I put a piece of clear packing tape over the edge of the latch about 1 inch (end of tape folded over so it can be pulled easily).

That seems much more reasonable to me than modifying the airplane in such a way that might cause an issue for a subsequent pilot. If someone ever needs the emergency gear system, they will likely already be under some stress and don't really need to figure out how an undocumented latching pin works.

[Dustoff49]

Meanwhile I had to order some Mooney jack pads to screw in they show up today.   I emailed with Don Maxwell and my actuator is so jammed I can't get it to free up the cable with the latch down to release the tension on  the motor.  He said I will need to remove the cable end and cover to expose the end of the shaft to use an extension and ratchet to free it up if the level won't release it. Once it is freed up you should be able to raise  the lever up slightly grab the "T" put latch back in disengage position and pull on the "T" with little to no resistance.   Hope to get this fixed soon.   Thanks 

[A64Pilot]

2 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

I don't like to test the emergency system annually. 

Per Mark Rouch of Top Gun Aviation MSC:

"Another problem with the newer actuators is the wear on the emergency extension cable. It is Teflon coated and the Teflon can tear and peel loose and that loose Teflon can actually jam the actuator. It actually happened during a practice emergency landing gear extension.

My actuator is 45 years old.  I am not going to take the chance of damaging or wearing the emergency extension out (25 pulls each time) just to practice on jack stands.  If done every year it would have been subjected to at least 1,100 pulls. The last thing I want to do is write a check for $16,000 plus labor.

No I would not like:

I believe even if you had the $16K, they aren’t available, at any price.

I concur with your thought process it’s one thing to test something that’s available, and another for something that isn’t.

Maybe the rebuilds will become available again, but I suspect not for $16K, the price of the spring I think tripled, how much for a rebuilt actuator?

 

Edited Wednesday at 07:07 PM by A64Pilot

[PT20J]

To check the gear preloads properly according to the manual, you have to lower the gear manually. 

[EricJ]

2 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

I don't like to test the emergency system annually. 

Contrary to some popular belief, it isn't required by Part 43 Appendix D.    I wouldn't -never- do it, but the concerns about wear are legit in the current parts/support/maintenance climate.

 

29 minutes ago, PT20J said:

To check the gear preloads properly according to the manual, you have to lower the gear manually. 

It can be stopped mid-travel with the master switch during electrical operation, or, if you're really patient, by hand turning the rubber coupling in the actuator.