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

Verified

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:

Corey meticulously conducted an annual inspection on his Cessna 172H, systematically checking flight controls, powerplant (including compression checks and oil analysis), brakes, and other structural components.
The inspection involved de-paneling, using specialized tools, and diligently recording all findings, such as cracks, leaks, and hardware issues, on a "squawk sheet."
Key maintenance actions included spark plug care, thorough checks for metal fatigue and corrosion, and preventative treatments like fogging with Corrosion X.
After methodically addressing all identified discrepancies and completing any cosmetic work, Corey, as an IA, signed off the aircraft's logbook and conducted a successful test flight.

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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.