Tom, I’ve got bad news for you,” Brian says when I answer the phone.
The phone call isn’t a surprise. I’ve expected the call every time my airplane was in the hands of a mechanic during the last year or so, but it isn’t welcome.
Airwork: Time to Pull the Plug?
Cessna Cardinal, with almost 450
hours passed TBO and 20 years since
it was overhauled, may have reached
retirement age. Tom Benenson
Key Takeaways:
- The author's high-time aircraft engine (2,440 hours SMOH) develops an intermittent rough running issue during magneto checks that mechanics struggle to definitively diagnose despite various checks.
- Given the engine's age and the undiagnosed intermittent problem, mechanics advise an overhaul or replacement for safety and liability reasons, which the author initially resisted hoping for a simpler repair.
- Faced with a potential engine replacement cost of $30,000-$40,000, high annual operating expenses, and a depressed aviation market, the author is forced to critically re-evaluate the financial and personal value of continued aircraft ownership.
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