It seems there has been increased cases of landing gear failures for Mooney International Corporation (Mooney) Model M20, M20A, M20B, M20C, M20D, M20E, M20F, M20G, M20J, M20K, M20L, M 20M, M20R, M20S, M20TN, M20U, and M20V airplanes.
For this reason, the FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin prompting the subject aircraft owners to take the necessary actions.
According to the FAA publication, the main causes of the landing gear failures are:
[li]improper maintenance
[/li][li] age
[/li][li]operational deterioration
[/li][li] and/or failure to perform established inspection
[/li][li]rigging requirements and procedures in applicable maintenance instructions
[/li]
The FAA recommends that all Mooney M20 series airplane owners and operators:
- Continue to comply with SI M20-122 by following the applicable Mooney 100-Hour Inspection Guide and Service and Maintenance Manual instructions at each annual (100-hour) inspection.
- Review Mooney Service Bulletin M20-344 for information on proper maintenance and operation of the manual and electric landing gear systems.