Airworthiness Directives; Mooney Airplane Company, Inc., Model M20M Airplanes

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) to supersede Airworthiness Directive 91-03-15, which applies to certain Mooney Airplane Company, Inc., (Mooney) Model M20M airplanes. AD 91-03- 15 currently requires you to replace the tailpipe coupling with improved tailpipe coupling. Since we issued AD 91-03-15, a fire erupted in the lower left cockpit area on one of the airplanes affected by AD 91-03-15. The V-clamp that attaches the exhaust tailpipe to the turbocharger fell off, which allowed the exhaust tailpipe to detach from the turbocharger. Hot exhaust gases from the turbocharger outlet blasted the lower left firewall. This AD requires you to replace the existing radiant heat shield with the new improved design heat shield, deflector kit; replace the existing exhaust tailpipe-to-turbocharger V- band clamp with the new design V-band clamp; and modify the hydraulic brake fluid poly line. We are issuing this AD to prevent the V-clamp from detaching from the turbocharger and to prevent exposure of the firewall to hot exhaust gases, which could result in an in-flight fire. An in-flight fire could lead to loss of control of the airplane and passenger injury.