Mooney Control Yoke Cracks

The FAA has generated an airworthiness concern sheet (ACS), which typically precedes an airworthiness directive.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Saturday, November 30, 2024 at 07:10 AM ET

Verified

A close-up view of a fractured Mooney control yoke is shown below, courtesy the FAA and its ACS. Is an AD coming?

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has issued an Airworthiness Concern Sheet (ACS) for early Mooney M20 models (M20C, M20D, M20E, M20F, M20G) concerning fatigue cracks in control wheel shafts and attachment hubs, which could lead to control wheel separation.
The ACS requests operators of affected Mooney models to perform visual inspections for cracks and report any findings to the FAA, noting that an existing Airworthiness Directive (AD) inspects the control shaft but not the control wheel itself.
Darren Pleasance has been appointed as the new President and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), effective January 1, 2025, succeeding Mark Baker.
Pleasance brings extensive aviation experience, including over 8000 flight hours in more than 50 different aircraft types, to his new leadership role at AOPA.

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Last month in this space, we told you about an FAA Airworthiness Concern Sheet (ACS) being distributed by the agency regarding cracking power levers aboard Cirrus piston singles. This month, we add early Mooney models and their control yokes to the list.

The FAA’s ACS identifies Mooney’s M20C, M20D, M20E, M20F and M20G models as susceptible to the problem, omitting the very early M20/A/B variants as well as the Mooney 201 and later. The FAA says, “Fatigue cracks in control wheel shaft and/or attachment hub may lead to control wheel separation from the shaft.” The ACS notes that such a failure may reduce “safety margins, especially in certain phases of flight, such as takeoff and landing.”