Bite the Bullet

Am I upset thinking the inspector unnecessarily picked nits? No. He was just extremely thorough and that's what I claim I want. I am a bit frustrated with the situation and that it wasn't caught before now, but the whole thought exercise has been enlightening, and a good test of my resolution to maintain my aircraft as thoroughly as possible.

Frank Bowlin

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

An aircraft owner discovered undocumented drill holes in a critical structural spar during an annual inspection, made decades ago for a now-removed bookcase, rendering the aircraft legally unairworthy.
Despite not being deemed unsafe, this 21-year-old modification had been overlooked by at least 11 prior annual inspections.
The owner chose to engage an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER) to legally approve the modification, opting for "the right thing" over other options, with an anticipated cost of around $5000.
The owner, though frustrated, appreciated the new inspector's thoroughness and viewed the experience as an important lesson in maintaining aircraft integrity.

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We’ve all lamented the frequent difference between legal, safe, and even occasionally right. I just got slapped with a many-thousand dollar reminder of that whole concept.

A small custom book case for charts and stuff was long ago installed just behind the pilot’s seat of my Cessna 340A. I used it for years, but eventually with three sources of e-charts on the panel plus an iPad on my lap, I stopped carrying paper and removed the bookcase.