With the average age of the general aviation fleet at 30 year, the importance of doing a comprehensive pre-purchase inspection before
The average age of the general aviation fleet is 30 years, and some of the airplanes on the market have over 10,000 hours in service. Not only are lightplane prices much higher (most have appreciated handsomely in recent years), but the price of replacement parts for them has gone completely out of sight. To the prospective buyer, this means serious shock if anything significant goes wrong after the purchase. When mechanical problems turn up and the bills for unscheduled repairs start coming in, often during the first year after purchase, it isn’t long before the new owner starts questioning whether aircraft ownership is such a good idea after all.
That’s why a prepurchase inspection is so vital…and why it shouldn’t be just a quick once-over, but a thorough look at the airframe, engine, system instruments and avionics. The more complex the airplane, the more time and energy must be put into a prepurchase inspection.
Research into the aircraft’s Airworthiness Directive (AD) compliance is a very important part of any prepurchase inspection. ADs can be very expensive to comply with, but non-compliance with an AD can render an airplane unairworthy. Few potential buyers are in a position to check AD compliance themselves. One problem that occurs occasionally is that a mechanic will make an entry in a log that he has complied with a particular AD without giving any details. If the AD has several methods of compliance, that can lead to problems later. For example, an AD on a landing gear side brace may require an inspection every 500 hours and replacement of the brace at 3,000 hours. If the mechanic replaced the side brace because it was found to be faulty but the logbook stated only that the AD was complied with, the brace would probably be replaced again much sooner than necessary. Worse, the replaced side brace might be an improved part that was no longer subject to the AD, but without a complete explanation in the logbook a new owner and his mechanic might have a difficult time determining whether or not the recurring provisions of the AD still applied. When considering the purchase of an airplane, the availability of detailed maintenance records are a big plus.
More stuff to check
If you are buying a retractable gear airplane, make sure the airplane is put on jacks and a thorough evaluation of the landing gear system is accomplished. Each strut, trunion, brace, linkage and actuator should be checked for excessive play and wear. The gear should fit snugly into its wells and complete the extension and retraction cycles within the cycle times specified in the service manual. Gear doors should fit properly, and their hinges should be free from excessive wear. Some landing gear systems can be more difficult than others to maintain, but any retractable system that is worn or neglected will be expensive to repair.
Part of the prepurchase inspection is insuring that the instruments and avionics all work. It generally will take an avionics technician no more than an hour to check out the radios and instruments. If you’re not familiar with the equipment, make sure you find someone who is to make the checks. Sophisticated equipment such as autopilots, flight directors, weather radars and GPS receivers can have many features that should be tested, but if you’ve never used that model before, you probably won’t know how to check it.
How much will it cost?
An extensive Pre-purchase is basically a thorough 100hrly but with no rectification. The inspection usually takes about 6-10 hours of labor, so you are looking at $600 – $1000 plus whatever materials are needed. Parts cost is usually minimal, but will include an oil filter (the old one is cut open to inspect it for metal), and possibly other materials such as gaskets, cleaning solvents, and a quart of oil to replace what was in the filter.
If the annual inspection is coming up in the next three months I try to turn the prepurchase inspection into an annual. It’s not always possible, and the cooperation of the seller is required because the airplane is tied up longer than it would be for a prepurchase inspection. Therefore you don’t have to stop flying it three months later for an annual.
If you are in the market for an airplane, be certain that you take all the mandatory steps that are required before taking delivery. The prepurchase inspection is vital to a successful sale no matter who you are buying the airplane from and what the apparent condition of the airplane is. Skip it, and your new airplane could turn into disastrous money pit!!