Cessna 172 Annual: Part 2

We take a brief look at the complete annual inspection protocol for a Cessna 172.

Thursday, November 02, 2023 at 06:41 PM ET

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When beginning an annual inspection, the inspector will be on the lookout for cracks, carbon trails, oil leaks, and parts hanging. [Credit: Elijah Lisyany]

Key Takeaways:

The article describes a comprehensive annual inspection of a Cessna 172H, starting with a methodical de-paneling and detailed visual inspection of the airframe, flight controls, and powerplant following AC 43.13 guidelines.
Key maintenance procedures performed included compression checks, spark plug inspection and replacement, oil changes with analysis, brake inspection, wheel bearing repacking, and corrosion prevention.
Identified discrepancies, such as an inoperative nav radio, nose-gear shimmy, and wing strut fairings, were meticulously resolved, enabling the owner-operator (who is also an IA) to sign off the aircraft for return to service.

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When we last left Corey, he had relocated his 1966 Cessna 172H to its new home in a T-hangar at Newnan-Coweta Airport (KCCO) in Georgia and was prepping for his annual inspection. He pulled the pertinent airworthiness directives (ADs), mapped out a plan, and reviewed other technical data like service bulletins (SBs). Now, it’s time to get down to business.

Inspection

Using the AC 43.13 as his guide, Corey began diligently and methodically going over his airplane with a keen inspector’s eye. These first few passes around are critical, as they will start telling the story of the state of your aircraft. It is essential to look for cracks, carbon trails, oil leaks, and parts hanging when they should be fastened.