# Incident 20210522009919I: Mooney M20J, Van Nuys, CA, May 22, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 22, 2021, 16:30 local time
- Place: Van Nuys, CA
- Airport: Van Nuys
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.2098° N, 118.4900° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VAN NUYS (VNY), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2098&lon=-118.4900&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5717K, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5717K) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C (registry code 41511, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER A&C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 476 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210522009919I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AFTER MAJOR RADIO AND INSTRUMENT UPGRADE, OWNER/^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETE AND READY FOR PICK UP. PILOT PERFORMED PREFLIGHT AND CHECKED WEATHER, VMC CONDITONS. DURING DESCENT INTO VNY, THE PILOT SIDE CONTROL YOKE SHAFT CAME OFF IT'S ATTACHMENT BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WITH PILOT LOOSING CONTROL OF BOTH AILERONS AND ELEVATORS. PILOT PHYSICALLY MOVED TO THE CO-PILOT POSITION AND CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT.  COMMUNICATION WAS HINDERED DUE TO THE HEADSET STILL CONNECTED TO THE PILOT SIDE, LANDING AT VNY WAS ROUGH, AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT LANDING GEAR DOOR. THE NEXT DAY UPON ENTRY TO THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT FOUND CONTROL YOKE SHAFT ATTACHMENT BOLT ON THE FLOOR OF THE CABIN, A SECOND NUT AND BOLT WAS ALSO FOUND STILL ATTACHED BUT LEFT LOOSE. AVIONICS SHOP CAME OUT AND RESECURED PILOT SIDE CONTROL YOKE SHAFT HARDWARE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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