Gear switch broke in half?

[Vance Harral]

15 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

I sure didn't see ANY evidence of corrosion.

Hard to say at low resolution, but looks to me like there is significant brown discoloration at the break point on the shaft.  A clean break on an fully intact part would be much shinier, no?

[MikeOH]

42 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

Look at the picture yourself, from that thread.  More than half of the threaded portion of the attach point for the plastic wheel-shaped knob is broken off.  This is not just a failure of the plastic.  If you want to quibble that a different part of the metal shaft broke vs. the OP in this thread, then sure, it's a different failure mode.  Whatever.

I thought we were having a rational debate here, but it sounds like you're getting wound up...judging from the 'whatever' comment. To be rational, yes, the exact failure mode is important.  The failure mode in that picture would NOT cause a safety of flight issue; you would still be able to raise and lower the gear as the switch itself is intact.  I hardly think pointing that significant difference out is 'quibbling'.

47 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

No, I wasn't the guy with my hand on the switch, but I believe my airplane partner when he said he applied only a moderate amount of force.

And, I wonder if the OP believes the shop when they say they didn't apply excessive force?

 

51 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

I'm sure that's true when they're brand new.  As I've already explained, I think decades of normal use - with a few incorrect operations exactly as you describe from time to time - can fatigue the metal

I think that is a worthy point. Was it fatigue (supports your theory) or over-stress (supports my ham-fisted theory)?  Not sure what it would cost to have an analysis done to determine fatigue, over-stress, corrosion, ?  I can understand the OP not wanting to bother.

 

54 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

But I guess everyone who broke the gear switch - the OP's mechanic and my airplane partner and JTR's wife included - are all ham-fisted

Yes.

 

55 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

As I recall, you're the same guy who keeps arguing that properly lubricated landing actuator gears will also never wear out. 

Ok, THAT is NOT true.

You are one of several who choose to overstate my position.  Honestly, I previously would have given you more credit than that.

My contention is that PROPERLY maintained landing gear actuators will last a very long time (mine is over 5 decades old and still passes inspection). THAT is nowhere near your false claim that I said they'll "never wear out".

Please quote any post where I said that, if you believe otherwise.

Finally, this latest 'argument' is pretty irrelevant to the present topic: to my knowledge landing gear switches in our Mooneys do NOT require any maintenance or inspections.

[MikeOH]

9 minutes ago, Vance Harral said:

Hard to say at low resolution, but looks to me like there is significant brown discoloration at the break point on the shaft.  A clean break on a fully intact part would be much shinier, no?

As I said, just my opinion that it does not look like corrosion.  Also my opinion that fractures typically are NOT shiny, but grainy.  Again, I am NOT a metallurgist.

I fully acknowledge that having an expert rule on this would be VERY valuable.

[JTR]

Found the old picture of mine broken off.  Total cost to get a used switch installed was $545.00.  Switch was 375 including tax and shipping, took my mechanic 2 hours to change it out. It looked like die cast metal, like from an old hot wheels car.

[Paul Thomas]

3 hours ago, Vance Harral said:

Hard to say at low resolution, but looks to me like there is significant brown discoloration at the break point on the shaft.  A clean break on an fully intact part would be much shinier, no?

Being all the same color indicates to be it all separated at the same time. I don't see evidence that it was cracked or corroded. 

[Marc_B]

It’s broke…needs to be replaced. Simple, not so simple.

I'm envisioning everyone standing around a water faucet in hard hats and safety vests debating why a handle broke…

Unless the person who broke it takes responsibility for it, the owner will foot the bill. Just need to fix it and call it a day. 

[IvanP]

This switch may be hard to come by. LASAR may be able to source a new one but it will not be cheap. BAS may be an option for salvage. They have couple of switches that may fit your need.

https://baspartsales.com/8906k2875-cutler-hammer-landing-gear-toggle-switch/ 

 

[201Mooniac]

I was told this is an equivalent switch https://skygeek.com/military-specification-ms24659-23d-switch-toggle-2-pole.html

[Echo]

On 6/12/2025 at 12:16 PM, Vance Harral said:

Broken gear switches like this are not unheard of.  We added a member to our airplane partnership many years ago who managed to snap the switch off on his initial training flight, just like is shown in the OP's photo.  Yes, the damage occurred because he didn't fully understand the pull-out-to-unlock mechanism of the switch, and broke it while trying to raise the landing gear (which fortunately resulted in the gear remaining in the down and locked position).  But he's not the first person to break a Mooney gear switch, and I think it's likely the switch shaft gets fatigued over time even in normal operations.

I'm sure someone will argue the switch lasts indefinitely with gentle use.  But I think it's fair to criticize the design.  The fact there have been multiple incidents of switches breaking is a legitimate design issue.  Other gear switches in other aircraft are considerably more robust, albeit at the expense of being larger and heavier.

The fact that multiple stuff is not necessarily from bad design.  More like bad instruction and adrenaline.

[EricJ]

48 minutes ago, 201Mooniac said:

I was told this is an equivalent switch https://skygeek.com/military-specification-ms24659-23d-switch-toggle-2-pole.html

Looks like it has potential, and an MS part number.   It's cheaper from Newark:

https://www.newark.com/honeywell/ms24659-23d/switch-toggle-dpdt-20a-277v/dp/61M4738

Somebody could 3d print a wheel handle to go over the switch part.

 

[201Steve]

Honeywell  2TL1-3D

edit- same as Eric posted

[Fly Boomer]

1 hour ago, EricJ said:

Looks like it has potential, and an MS part number.   It's cheaper from Newark:

https://www.newark.com/honeywell/ms24659-23d/switch-toggle-dpdt-20a-277v/dp/61M4738

Somebody could 3d print a wheel handle to go over the switch part.

 

I vaguely remember a topic from a few years ago that said some part of the toggle comes off and is replaced by the wheel.

This may be what I'm remembering

https://mooneyspace.com/topic/28813-gear-switch-replacement/

And here is the part about removing the tip

https://mooneyspace.com/topic/50410-anyone-have-the-part-number-for-gear-down-actuator-switch-1976-f/

 

[toto]

7 hours ago, IvanP said:

This switch may be hard to come by. LASAR may be able to source a new one but it will not be cheap. BAS may be an option for salvage. They have couple of switches that may fit your need.

https://baspartsales.com/8906k2875-cutler-hammer-landing-gear-toggle-switch/ 

 

The shop found four different sources for the switch, and the one they ordered was new-old-stock. They just put in the new switch today. 

The shop ended up covering this as a warranty repair, since it wasn’t obvious how the damage happened but it happened during their inspection. It’s a positive outcome and a stand-up attitude from the shop, which I definitely appreciate. 

Thanks to all for your input - I leaned a lot from this thread

Thanks also to the MSer who offered me a switch from their aircraft - I might very well have needed that. 

[PeterRus]

On 6/12/2025 at 12:50 PM, flyboy0681 said:

On the outside chance that this can happen due to normal use, I carry needle nose pliers in my flight bag - just in case.

Plier would add 2-3 lbs: manual extension should work "just in case". 

[IvanP]

12 hours ago, toto said:

The shop found four different sources for the switch, and the one they ordered was new-old-stock. They just put in the new switch today. 

The shop ended up covering this as a warranty repair, since it wasn’t obvious how the damage happened but it happened during their inspection. It’s a positive outcome and a stand-up attitude from the shop, which I definitely appreciate. 

Thanks to all for your input - I leaned a lot from this thread

Thanks also to the MSer who offered me a switch from their aircraft - I might very well have needed that. 

Glad to hear that they covered the cost for you and that they were able to promptly find replacement. Seems like the decision maker at the shop arrived at a reasonable conclusion, notwithstaning the initial attempt to blame "corrosion". 

Fly safe.

[Hank]

7 hours ago, PeterRus said:

Plier would add 2-3 lbs: manual extension should work "just in case". 

I keep a swiss army knife in the seat pocket behind my knees. Maybe i should trade it for the Leatherman in the baggage toolbox. 

[IvanP]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

I keep a swiss army knife in the seat pocket behind my knees. Maybe i should trade it for the Leatherman in the baggage toolbox. 

This one of the scenarios for which we have manual gear extension mechanism. If you break the switch on take-off and the gear is still down, you go back, land, curse yourself with a set of favorite expletives (or blame global warming or corrosion) and get a new switch installed. If you break it when putting the gear down and it does not work, pull the gear actuator CB, lower the gear manually and land, curse, etc. Lot easier and safer than looking for and fiddling with tools while flying the plane. 

[N201MKTurbo]

just use your pen to push that stub up and down.

[toto]

3 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

just use your pen to push that stub up and down.

I’d think you would need the needle nose to pull the stub out before you could move it up or down?

[Hank]

3 hours ago, IvanP said:

. . . looking for and fiddling with tools while flying the plane. 

I'm an engineer, fiddling with tools is second nature. I can reach into the pocket on the front of my seat and pull out a tool without looking, and only reaching with one hand (either one). 

I've done the emergency gear extension for real once (electrical failure, not a broken switch). It's not big deal; neither would be grabbing a broken switch with a Leatherman--and it would be quicker. Emergency Extension would make a good Plan B.

Ever how you get the gear down other than just flipping the switch, do it in level flight away from anything and everyone. I leveled off above MDA and headed away from the hilltops.

[Rusty Trombone]

Looks like resolved.  For future reference and own research. All disclaimers apply. In researching, found that metal hat on this switch screws off, and Mooney “wheel” handle screws on.

[N201MKTurbo]

1 hour ago, toto said:

I’d think you would need the needle nose to pull the stub out before you could move it up or down?

The locking mechanism is in the part that broke off. You would be able to push it up and down without pulling it out.

[toto]

7 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

The locking mechanism is in the part that broke off. You would be able to push it up and down without pulling it out.

Interesting, thank you 

[201Steve]

9 hours ago, Rusty Trombone said:

Looks like resolved.  For future reference and own research. All disclaimers apply. In researching, found that metal hat on this switch screws off, and Mooney “wheel” handle screws on.

And it’s got loctite in the little crown. 

[PT20J]

9 hours ago, Rusty Trombone said:

Looks like resolved.  For future reference and own research. All disclaimers apply. In researching, found that metal hat on this switch screws off, and Mooney “wheel” handle screws on.

The Mooney switch is made by Cuttler-Hammer (Eaton). You’d want to check that the Honeywell part is compatible.