The FAA's 2028 Kill List: 10 Mooneys Scheduled for Mandatory Retirement

In November 2019, the Mooney factory in Kerrville, Texas went dark — by voicemail. Six years later, the FAA, the EPA, and the parts supply chain are quietly finishing what corporate distress started. Ten Mooney models are converging on a 2028 wall, and the three killers are already operating in plain sight. Timestamps: 00:00 — The Voicemail (the 2019 shutdown nobody noticed) 02:30 — Verified Facts Beat (the three executioners) 03:30 — Act 2: The Wooden Ghosts (#10 M18 Mite • #9 M20 original • #8 M20A) 08:00 — Act 3: The AD Noose (#7 M20D • #6 M22 Mustang • #5 M20G Statesman • #4 M20K 231) 13:00 — Act 4: The Fuel Guillotine (#3 M20M Bravo/TLS • #2 M20R Ovation / M20U Ovation Ultra • #1 M20TN Acclaim / M20V Ultra) 17:00 — Act 5: The Laminar Wing Didn't Save Anyone At Sky Ranch, we strip away the marketing fluff to reveal the brutal engineering truth about the machines we trust with our lives. Which Mooney is in your hangar? Drop it in the comments. References AOPA — "'Please be advised' Mooney factory closed" (Nov 13, 2019, Kerrville furlough). https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/a... BWI Aviation Insurance — "Mooney Aircraft Ceases Production" (insurance impact, fatal/non-fatal accident totals). https://bwifly.com/aircraft-insurance... Wikipedia — Mooney International Corporation (ownership history, Meijing/Soaring America, 2019 and 2020 shutdowns, US Financial LLC 2020 acquisition). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooney_... Wikipedia — Mooney M20 (full model lineage, AD 86-19-10, AD 68-25-6, wood-tail in-flight breakup history, production dates). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooney_M20 Grokipedia — Mooney M20 (Meijing acquisition 2013, M20U/M20V 2016 introduction, Nov 2019 factory closure, Jan 2020 end of new production). https://grokipedia.com/page/Mooney_M20 Simple Flying — "Analysis: Comparing The Mooney M20 To Other Leading Single-Engine Piston Aircraft" (2008 layoffs, US Financial 80% ownership, current parts support model). https://simpleflying.com/mooney-m20-g... AOPA — "The Early Mooneys" (wood-wing ADs, shops refusing to work on wood-wing Mooneys, M20D conversion history). https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/a... LASAR — "Mooney Buyers Guide" (M22 Mustang production of 28 units, TIO-541-A1A, 1300-hr TBO, M18 Mite AD exposure, 150-hp M20 history). https://lasar.com/buyers-guide Wikipedia — Mooney M22 Mustang (first pressurized piston single, 36 units, 1964–1970 production, produced at a loss). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooney_... Wikipedia — Mooney M-18 Mite (spruce spar, fabric-covered wood airframe, design history). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooney_... Federal Register — "Airworthiness Directives; Mooney Aircraft Corporation Models M20B, M20C, M20D, M20E, M20F, M20G, and M20J Airplanes" (AD 2004-25-04, O&N bladder fuel cells, STC SA2277CE / SA2350CE). https://www.federalregister.gov/docum... BAS Part Sales — "FAA Airworthiness Directive on Mooney M20C to M20G" (AD 2023-01-06 elevator balance weight, 3,098 US-registered aircraft, 1-hr inspection, 6-hr compliance). https://baspartsales.com/blog/faa-air... Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand — "Airworthiness Directive Schedule: Mooney M20 Series" (comprehensive AD schedule for M20C/E/F/G/J/M/R aircraft). https://www.aviation.govt.nz/assets/a... FlyRadius — "Mooney Acclaim Type S Engine — Continental TSIO-550-G" (engine specs, 100LL-only fuel requirement, 280 BHP to 20,000 ft). https://www.flyradius.com/mooney-accl... AOPA — "Mooney Acclaim" (M20TN, turbonormalized Continental TSIO-550-G, 33 inches MP, 280 hp to 20,000 ft, 25,000-ft service ceiling). https://www.aopa.org/go-fly/aircraft-... Plane + Pilot — "Mooney M20TN Acclaim Type S" (specifications, $599,900 base, 237 KTAS at FL250, 100LL fuel type). https://planeandpilotmag.com/mooney-m... Aviation Consumer — "Mooney Acclaim: Fast and Flexible" (TSIO-550-G derated from 310 hp to 280 hp, comparison to Columbia 400 engine). https://aviationconsumer.com/aircraft... AOPA — "Cirrus SR22T" (TCM TSIO-550-K with 7.5:1 compression for UL94 future-proofing; TSIO-550-G in Mooney Acclaim and Columbia 400 is high-compression; engine-timing implications of UL94 on high-compression engines). https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/a...