Mooney Issues

Pilot disconnected the (S-Tec 50) autopilot and hand-flew for several minutes. Shortly after initiating a descent to land, the ailerons began to seize. It took five to 10 seconds to lose aileron authority, followed by elevator authority. Pilot forced to make emergency landing with only a few degrees of operable aileron and elevator, but landed without damage or injury. Examination revealed the autopilot had re-engaged and the servo clutches had frozen.

Editorial Staff

Monday, June 25, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Several Mooney aircraft experienced critical flight control malfunctions, including an autopilot re-engagement freezing controls mid-flight and a jammed elevator during pre-flight.
Significant engine and structural issues were reported, such as a mismanufactured engine mount with incorrect dimensions and cylinder damage from broken studs and loose intake bolts.
A persistent electrical system problem involved an alternator failure repeatedly frying voltage regulators, even after multiple replacements.

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Mooney M20C
Malfunctioning Autopilot

Pilot disconnected the (S-Tec 50) autopilot and hand-flew for several minutes. Shortly after initiating a descent to land, the ailerons began to “seize.” It took five to 10 seconds to lose aileron authority, followed by elevator authority. Pilot forced to make emergency landing with only a few degrees of operable aileron and elevator, but landed without damage or injury. Examination revealed the autopilot had re-engaged and the servo clutches had frozen.