Got a call from an operational RAF base. Do you have a Mooney reg G-XXXX based with you? Yes. Then do you mind coming and moving it? It is blocking our main runway...
Pilot said he was running it up and doing his checks, when the nose lowered and the prop contacted the runway. The blades were spiraled as the tips has made multiple strikes. They lent me a crew and we wheel-barrowed it back to a hangar. Pulled the engine for a shock test and had the prop rebuilt, refitted, then locked the gear down with some bits I made up and got her back to base.
The link to the nose gear had failed, but I was puzzled as to why. Finally the pilot admitted he had unlocked the lever in mistake for the flap lever. (manual u/c) So while the main wheels were OK, as held by the tarmac, the nose wheel came out of lock and with the weight on, broke the linkage. Expensive slip.
NB: It was a base flying Canberras (which dates this..) and the one next to my space in the hangar had done a wheels up landing, quite interesting, but they were fixing it.