Crack in bracket - Main spar fwd gear attach box

[Barneyw]

Hi All

Need some corporate knowledge input as my mechanic is not having any luck with Mooney. skin

Aircraft is in for its annual and they have discovered some cracks - the main concern is the crack discovered in the skin/bracket at the gear attach box area.

I have attached 3 photos the first two is of my aircraft and the last one is a screenshot of an unknown model with a manual gear for reference only because it looks a little different to mine. The actual crack is above and behind the Truss Assy ref Figure 22 Item 15 in the Parts Catalogue. 

Anyhow I would appreciate it if someone can enlighten me about the following:

a. posible repair

b. the differences between the gear attach boxes in the photos.

c. is LASAR now the go to authority for all things Mooney.

d. any info (structural repair manual diagrams etc) on the area.

e. is that all that is holding the truss in position or is there something more structural behind this bracket attaching the gear assy to the spar?

Appreciate your help.

Cheers

Barney

   

[Matthew P]

Contact Don Maxwell with the photos.

[takair]

Wow, awful place for a crack…hard to even find that..  Good on your mechanic.  Any history of hard landing?  Probably easiest way to dig deeper is to pull the gear.

[1980Mooney]

On 10/27/2025 at 4:41 AM, Barneyw said:

Hi All

Need some corporate knowledge input as my mechanic is not having any luck with Mooney.

Aircraft is in for its annual and they have discovered some cracks - the main concern is the crack discovered in the skin/bracket at the gear attach box area.

I have attached 3 photos the first two is of my aircraft and the last one is a screenshot of an unknown model with a manual gear for reference only because it looks a little different to mine. The actual crack is above and behind the Truss Assy ref Figure 22 Item 15 in the Parts Catalogue. 

Anyhow I would appreciate it if someone can enlighten me about the following:

a. posible repair

b. the differences between the gear attach boxes in the photos.

c. is LASAR now the go to authority for all things Mooney.

d. any info (structural repair manual diagrams etc) on the area.

e. is that all that is holding the truss in position or is there something more structural behind this bracket attaching the gear assy to the spar?

Appreciate your help.

Cheers

Barney

   

" I have attached 3 photos the first two is of my aircraft and the last one is a screenshot of an unknown model with a manual gear for reference only because it looks a little different to mine" 

"b. the differences between the gear attach boxes in the photos."

I think the third picture is from a 1961 M20B featured in the Fastback Flying videos on YouTube.  

 

 

Edited November 4 by 1980Mooney

[1980Mooney]

On 10/27/2025 at 4:41 AM, Barneyw said:

Hi All

Need some corporate knowledge input as my mechanic is not having any luck with Mooney.

Aircraft is in for its annual and they have discovered some cracks - the main concern is the crack discovered in the skin/bracket at the gear attach box area.

I have attached 3 photos the first two is of my aircraft and the last one is a screenshot of an unknown model with a manual gear for reference only because it looks a little different to mine. The actual crack is above and behind the Truss Assy ref Figure 22 Item 15 in the Parts Catalogue. 

Anyhow I would appreciate it if someone can enlighten me about the following:

a. posible repair

b. the differences between the gear attach boxes in the photos.

c. is LASAR now the go to authority for all things Mooney.

d. any info (structural repair manual diagrams etc) on the area.

e. is that all that is holding the truss in position or is there something more structural behind this bracket attaching the gear assy to the spar?

Appreciate your help.

Cheers

Barney

   

 

 

 

d. any info (structural repair manual diagrams etc) on the area.

e. is that all that is holding the truss in position or is there something more structural behind this bracket attaching the gear assy to the spar?

Since you have the Parts Manual, look at Fig. 2, part 027 - " Box Assembly, Gear Attach - LH and RH."

Parts 210140-013 and 210140-014

[Barneyw]

On 11/5/2025 at 12:26 AM, Matthew P said:

Contact Don Maxwell with the photos.

Thanks Matthew

[Barneyw]

On 11/5/2025 at 12:31 AM, takair said:

Wow, awful place for a crack…hard to even find that..  Good on your mechanic.  Any history of hard landing?  Probably easiest way to dig deeper is to pull the gear.

Yep!

I guess what aircraft that is 50 years old doesn't have a history of sorts. I have the original logbooks from new when it was first placed on the register here in Australia. It has had a couple of incidents over the years involving wing repairs. I'm sure it has also had its fair share of hard landings. Yes it was a good catch by the mechanic the real question is how long has the crack been there?

So I am currently talking to LASAR to source a new Box Assy from Mooney who in turn are trying to find the tooling. I am also exploring the possibility of doing an in situ lamination/glue or some form of doubler repair depending on what we find once we get a better look at it and what access we have. The material is Al 2024 Clad that has been heat treated. Either way it is going to be an interesting exercise.

I'll be sure to take plenty of pics of the process and post as things progress.

Cheers

Barney

 

[Barneyw]

On 11/5/2025 at 5:42 AM, 1980Mooney said:

 

d. any info (structural repair manual diagrams etc) on the area.

e. is that all that is holding the truss in position or is there something more structural behind this bracket attaching the gear assy to the spar?

Since you have the Parts Manual, look at Fig. 2, part 027 - " Box Assembly, Gear Attach - LH and RH."

Parts 210140-013 and 210140-014

Thanks for the info 1980.

I didn't see that second video which has the model in the title. As per my post above I have identified the part and currently in discussions with LASAR and Mooney.

Cheers

Barney

[Jsno]

Why don’t you get a part from a salvage yard?  Also I wonder was this corrosion or a hard landing?

[Barneyw]

On 11/18/2025 at 4:50 AM, Jsno said:

Why don’t you get a part from a salvage yard?  Also I wonder was this corrosion or a hard landing?

Hi Jsno

I thought about it but there are two issues with that one being taking one off is major job that is to say it's not a screw off (easy to take off) item the other is that most Mooneys as I understand were hand built so the there is a real risk that the holes in the part would not match up with the rivet holes in my aircraft.

These things are not easily found and could have been there for years as a smaller crack covered by paint. I think you have to take into account that the aircraft is 60 years old so that's a lot of micro failures.  

[Aaviationist]

None of that is a skin…

[Barneyw]

On 11/21/2025 at 12:11 AM, Aaviationist said:

None of that is a skin…

You are correct. It is a formed sheet metal attachment bracket made of 0.070 2024 aluminium which has been heat treated. 

I apologise for the misleading title.

Cheers