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Prop strike yesterday (and propeller specific noise level)

Guys, before you hear it from somewhere else….

My airplane has had a prop strike yesterday at ZRH during landing. Preliminary investigation point to a badly locked landing gear which started to retract on touchdown on runway 14. The pilot went around and landed a few minutes normally on runway 28 with fire brigades in attendance. After a check the aircraft taxied to the GA apron under it’s own power.

It turned out that the airplane suffered a prop strike as well as lost it’s navigation light on the belly and an antenna. From the point of damage to the airframe we were increadibly lucky. Prop will have to be replaced and engine shock load inspected. We will see how long this will take, I expect several months. Well, that is what we have insurance for.

Personally I think the main reason for this accident was the construction of the Johnson Bar gear lever, which can give a green light even if the locking pin has not fully locked. I had the same thing happen (green light without locked bar) in maintenance last year, where it turned red during taxi… and once before shortly before landing. It really is vital to check the pin is totally locked, which is not that easy at times. I know from the Mooney community that this is one of the things which happen quite regularly with Johnson Bar Mooneys.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Fingers crossed for the inspection 🤞🏼🤞🏼

EBST, Belgium

How do you check that the pin is fully locked?

ESME, ESMS

Dimme wrote:

How do you check that the pin is fully locked?

Thats what I was wondering too.

Nasty experience.

LGMG Megara, Greece

Dimme wrote:

How do you check that the pin is fully locked?

If the gear is up or the top of the Johnson bar out of the receptible, the pin is completely set against the receptible. When the gear is properly locked, the pin head has a distance of about 4-5 mm which is both visible and feelable. It also produces an audible and feelable “click” when it pops.

I’d like to add that we are vigorously training that, particularly after my first experience in flight (about 2010) and the almost mishap last year.

I am almost sure that this was the reason for this well publicized accident when the gear collapsed on a rough terrain on take off.



Last Edited by Mooney_Driver at 05 Sep 12:51
LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

Very sorry to hear of this, MD. I hope you get back on the road soon.

Nearly all shock load inspections find no damage, so the cost is largely independent of any damage. Well, unless something serious is found e.g. corrosion.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Quite. I would think that many shockload inspections find damage, but usually unrelated to the prop strike.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Thanks.

We will have to assess the complete damage in the next days and then decide on a course of action. I think about 6 months may be realistic, given that we need to sort out insurance and other stuff first.

Well, the engine has got about 7 years since a total overhaul at pretty normal use. We will have to wait and see. If something comes up, we’ll definitely do what ever is necessary.

What we will have to find out is what prop to put on, now that options are open. Personally I’d like to get something which gets the plane to a better noise class, but I understood the MT Props don’t work with the O360-powered Mooneys. Will try to find out, last time I checked was in 2015 so something might have changed. Otherwise, probably the same Hartzell onto it, just the one without the recurrent AD.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

When I flew a mooney with a Johnson bar, part of the extension procedure was called the thumb check to put your thumb in the space to verify the handle had extended into the catch/

KUZA, United States

Sorry to hear about this. I hope you get sorted soon.

EIWT Weston, Ireland
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