Mooney Engine Problems in Flight

e Problems in Flight
From: "G.R. Patterson III"
Date: 12/16/2004 10:24 AM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:



AJW wrote:

I've had that problem in too many
places, esp on fairly long XC flights where you land in the rain, tell them
to
top off the tanks, go to your hotel, work the next day, go out to the
airplane
in the rain, drain and drain and drain the damned tanks because -- well,
you
know the story.

I have the FBO top the tanks just before I leave. May not be feasible all the
time, but it would prevent this sort of problem.

Hadn't thought of that. Might delay t/o a bit, but it's a good idea, thanks.

Paul Smedshammer wrote:

In article , Newps wrote:

a 600 foot overcast with tops at 1,500 feet. Clear above 1,500 feet with
visibility well over 10 miles … more like 50 miles. Correct me if I'm wrong
but a VFR pilot can fly at 4,500 feet in this situation. It might not be
smart but it is legal. Let me know if I'm wrong.

It's legal, goddamned stupid, but legal.


How is it any more stupid than say flying at night?

I didn't make the comparison.

On 16 Dec 2004 11:51:20 GMT, emove (AJW) wrote:

The problem that needed repeated fixing on my M20J is getting the FBO minimum
wage guy to put the damned caps on correctly! I've had that problem in too many
places, esp on fairly long XC flights where you land in the rain, tell them to
top off the tanks, go to your hotel, work the next day, go out to the airplane
in the rain, drain and drain and drain the damned tanks because -- well, you
know the story. Have you noticed, as I just did, that drain is D RAIN? As in
damned?

That's happened to me so many times that, unless I know the person who is
doing the fueling, I always supervise.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)

In article .com, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
Good choice. Lasar will do an excellent job, they have a great
reputation in the Mooney community.

Yes, technically, VFR-on-Top has its own FAA meaning that is neither
VFR or necessarily "top top". A controller issuing a clearance
"VFR-on-top" is issuing a type of IFR clearance. However, we all knew
what you meant. BTW: I fly out of Sacramento, are in near here?

-Robert, CFI


Based out of Petaluma. Heading up to Lasar today to see if they can find
anything wrong. Thanks again everybody for all the information. I will post
what is found or isn't found.

Paul

In article , (Paul Smedshammer) wrote:
In article .com, "Robert M.
Gary" wrote:
Good choice. Lasar will do an excellent job, they have a great
reputation in the Mooney community.

Yes, technically, VFR-on-Top has its own FAA meaning that is neither
VFR or necessarily "top top". A controller issuing a clearance
"VFR-on-top" is issuing a type of IFR clearance. However, we all knew
what you meant. BTW: I fly out of Sacramento, are in near here?

-Robert, CFI


Based out of Petaluma. Heading up to Lasar today to see if they can find
anything wrong. Thanks again everybody for all the information. I will post
what is found or isn't found.

Paul

I just spent 4 hours of mechanic time up at Lasar. At my request they went
through everything. Checked the tanks for water, checked the gas collator,
servo, injectors, spark plugs, exhaust for blockage, air intakes (filter,
alternate air, ram air) all without finding anything. Test flight afterward
and the flight home both had the engine running perfectly as if nothing had
ever happened. Everybody is scratching their heads a little but I'm pretty
sure the culprit was water in the tank. On the flight that I had the trouble,
I made a step bank turn to stay under the fog ahead and I'm thinking there was
some water trapped behind a rib in the wing. The steep turn could have
stirred it up and had it settle to the bottom of the tank, which then got
pulled into the engine. It ran really rough for a while as it was a mixture
(recently stirred up) of water and fuel and then when that mixture was all
pushed through, it cleared up and ran normal. Leaving no sign of what had
happened.

Lessons learned, 1) do not fly VFR Over the Top unless you absolutely have to
and if you do get a lot of altitude so you might have a chance to glide to a
clear area to land and 2) really work the wings and sump the tanks vigorously
after rain or even dense fog - or for that matter anytime before you go flying
- you might have trapped water in the wing somewhere.

Thanks again to everybody who responded. I have learned a lot through this
experience.

Paul
Mooney M20F

I just spent 4 hours of mechanic time up at Lasar. At my request they went
through everything. Checked the tanks for water, checked the gas collator,
servo, injectors, spark plugs, exhaust for blockage, air intakes (filter,
alternate air, ram air) all without finding anything. Test flight afterward
and the flight home both had the engine running perfectly as if nothing had
ever happened. Everybody is scratching their heads a little but I'm pretty
sure the culprit was water in the tank. On the flight that I had the
trouble,
I made a step bank turn to stay under the fog ahead and I'm thinking there
was
some water trapped behind a rib in the wing. The steep turn could have
stirred it up and had it settle to the bottom of the tank, which then got
pulled into the engine. It ran really rough for a while as it was a mixture
(recently stirred up) of water and fuel and then when that mixture was all
pushed through, it cleared up and ran normal. Leaving no sign of what had
happened.

Lessons learned, 1) do not fly VFR Over the Top unless you absolutely have to

and if you do get a lot of altitude so you might have a chance to glide to a
clear area to land and 2) really work the wings and sump the tanks vigorously

after rain or even dense fog - or for that matter anytime before you go
flying
- you might have trapped water in the wing somewhere.

Thanks again to everybody who responded. I have learned a lot through this
experience.

Paul
Mooney M20F

Paul, you may want to think about that "steep bank to avoid fog ahead" comment.
It suggests

1: you may have been low,

2: if it stirred up the fuel tanks it may have been uncoordinated.

Man, if there's a nit to be picked. . .