AD 2007-05-04 Airworthiness Directives; Mooney Airplane Company, Inc., (Mooney) Models M20M and M20R Airplanes

Makes named: mooney. Models named: M20M, M20R. Read the applicability below — it usually turns on serial or part numbers too.

This AD applies to Mooney Airplane Company, Inc., (Mooney) Model M20M airplanes, serial numbers 27-0317 through 27-0355 and Model M20R airplanes, serial numbers 29-0290 through 29-0448, that are certificated in any category.

To address this problem, you must do the following, unless already done:   Actions Compliance Procedures (1) Locate and retorque the upper left and upper right engine mount attaching hardware Within the next 25 hours time-in-service (TIS) after April 9, 2007 (the effective date of this AD) Follow Mooney Airplane Company, Inc. Service Bulletin M20-292A, dated December 22, 2006. (2) Replace the old engine mount attaching hardware by doing the following: (i) Remove and discard the upper left and upper right engine mount attaching hardware; (ii) Cut out and remove the upholstery and insulation material to allow full metal-to-metal contact of the fuselage tubular frame to the firewall; and (iii) Install the new upper left and upper right engine mount attaching hardware part kits Within the next 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) after April 9, 2007 (the effective date of this AD) Follow Mooney Airplane Company, Inc. Service Bulletin M20-292A, dated December 22, 2006. (3) If you do the actions of paragraph (e)(2) of this AD before the compliance time specified for the action in paragraph (e)(1) of this AD, it terminates the requirement for the action in paragraph (e)(1) of this AD As of April 9, 2007 (the effective date of this AD) Follow Mooney Airplane Company, Inc. Service Bulletin M20-292A, dated December 22, 2006. (f) Compliance will be acceptable if the above actions are accomplished by following the procedures described in Mooney Airplane Company, Inc. Service Bulletin M20-292, dated September 22, 2006. You may take “unless already done” credit, and no further action per this AD is necessary. Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs) (g) The Manager, Fort Worth Airplane Certification Office, FAA, ATTN: Andrew McAnaul, Aerospace Engineer, ASW-150 (c/o MIDO-43), 10100 Reunion Place, Suite 650, San Antonio, Texas 78216; telephone: (210) 308-3365; fax: (210) 308-3370, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Related Information (h) None. Material Incorporated by Reference (i) You must use Mooney Airplane Company, Inc. Service Bulletin M20-292A, dated December 22, 2006, to do the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of this service information under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact the Mooney Airplane Company, Inc., 165 Al Mooney Road North, Kerrville, TX 78028, telephone: 830-896-6000, or go to: http://www.mooney.com/images/pdfs/sb-pdf/m20-292a.pdf. (3) You may review copies at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 21, 2007. Kim Smith, Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. [FR Doc. E7-3575 Filed 3-2-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

This AD is the result of failure of the engine mount attaching hardware to maintain torque as a result of firewall insulation and upholstery being compressed between the fuselage tubular frame and the firewall at the upper left and upper right engine mount attach points. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent the upper right and upper left engine mounting hardware from losing torque. This failure could lead to a reduction in engine mount load carrying capability and could result in engine mount failure.