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:

Multiple Mooney aircraft experienced critical control system malfunctions, including an autopilot re-engagement leading to seized ailerons and elevator, and a jammed trim assist assembly causing a stuck elevator during preflight.
Other reported issues involved engine and component integrity, such as a mismanufactured engine mount causing misalignment, broken cylinder studs with an associated loose intake tube, and a new alternator failure that repeatedly damaged voltage regulators.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.