wp.squawkd.com

Tag: AD compliance

  • FAA Aircraft Annual Inspection: What Part 91 Owners Must Know

    FAA Aircraft Annual Inspection: What Part 91 Owners Must Know

    FAA Aircraft Annual Inspection: What Part 91 Owners Must Know

    Meta description: FAA aircraft annual inspection explained: what it covers, who can perform it, how to prepare, and what the sign-off actually certifies legally.

    Every 12 calendar months, your aircraft needs an annual inspection or it doesn’t fly legally. Simple rule, but the details matter — who can sign it off, what they’re actually certifying, how to avoid surprises, and what happens when something fails. Get any of this wrong and you’re either grounded or, worse, flying an aircraft that isn’t legally airworthy. This guide covers what Part 91 private owners need to know to keep their aircraft legal and the inspection process efficient.

    What the Annual Inspection Covers — and What It Certifies

    The annual inspection is defined in 14 CFR §43.11 and Appendix D to Part 43. It’s a comprehensive examination of your aircraft’s airframe, engine, propeller, and all installed components and systems. The scope is specific: the inspector must check for conformity to type design and determine whether the aircraft is in condition for safe operation.

    Appendix D lists the minimum inspection items. For the airframe, this includes fuselage and hull surfaces, flight control systems, landing gear, cockpit and cabin components, engine mounts, and all structural elements. For powerplant, it covers the engine, exhaust, controls, fuel and oil systems, ignition, and accessories. Propellers get their own section covering blades, hubs, governors, and anti-ice components.

    Here’s what the annual inspection sign-off actually certifies: per §43.11, the IA (Inspection Authorization holder) is certifying that the required inspection was performed and the aircraft was found airworthy — or was not found airworthy, in which case it must be listed as such.

    Critical point: the signature does not mean the FAA has certified or approved anything. The FAA issues the type certificate and airworthiness certificate. The IA’s role is to inspect and attest. The legal responsibility for maintaining airworthiness sits with you, the owner, under §91.403(a). The IA certifies the inspection occurred and documents the findings. That’s it.

    Who Can Perform the Annual: A&P IA Aircraft Inspection Authority

    Not every mechanic can sign off an annual inspection. This is where many owners get confused.

    An A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) certificated mechanic can perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations. But to perform and sign off an annual inspection, you need either:

    1. A mechanic holding an Inspection Authorization (IA) under 14 CFR §65.91
    2. A manufacturer with a repair station certificate
    3. The aircraft manufacturer if they hold appropriate authority

    For most Part 91 owners, option one is the path: an A&P with IA authorization.

    The IA is issued by the FAA to experienced A&Ps who meet specific requirements: at least three years of certificated experience, current active engagement in maintenance, and completion of an IA refresher within the prior two years. The IA authorizes them to perform annual inspections, approve aircraft for return to service after major repairs or alterations, and perform the 100-hour inspection.

    You can hire an A&P without IA status to assist with the inspection — removing panels, cleaning, even diagnosing issues — but only the IA can approve the aircraft for return to service after the annual.

    When selecting an IA, look for experience with your aircraft type. A Bonanza specialist will inspect a Bonanza more thoroughly than a generalist unfamiliar with the type-specific AD history and known failure modes.

    How to Prepare Your Aircraft and Logbooks

    Preparation is where you save money and reduce downtime. Show up unprepared and you’re paying shop rates while someone searches through a box of loose papers.

    Logbook organization: Bring complete, organized maintenance records. This means airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks, plus any separate avionics logs. The IA needs to verify AD (Airworthiness Directive) compliance, life-limited component status, and previous inspection history. If you have digital records through a platform like Squawkd, export a complete summary. If you’re working from paper, tab the relevant entries.

    AD compliance list: Compile a current list of all applicable ADs with compliance status. This is your responsibility as owner under §91.403. Don’t make the IA hunt for it. Include one-time ADs with compliance dates and recurring ADs with next-due information.

    Aircraft preparation: Arrive with the aircraft clean. Seriously. Inspectors can’t see corrosion through grime. Remove interior panels if you’re able and willing — this can save an hour or more of shop time. Drain the sumps the night before so any water contamination is evident. Top off the oil so the inspector can verify oil consumption trends.

    Document known issues: If you know the right brake is weak or there’s a minor oil seep at the prop governor, tell the IA upfront. Surprises during inspection cost more than honest disclosure beforehand.

    Bring the aircraft’s equipment list and weight-and-balance data. The inspector needs to verify installed equipment matches documentation.

    What Commonly Gets Flagged

    Experienced IAs see the same issues repeatedly. Knowing these patterns helps you anticipate problems.

    Airworthiness Directive non-compliance: Either missed entirely or improperly documented. The AD was done but the logbook entry doesn’t include all required information — AD number, revision, method of compliance, date.

    Exhaust system cracks: Common on legacy aircraft. Inspect before the annual if you can; exhaust repairs take time and parts.

    Control cable wear and pulley issues: Often found at fairleads and turnbuckles. Cables fray where they bend.

    Corrosion: Particularly in battery boxes, around fuel tank fittings, and on steel components in coastal environments.

    Worn brake linings and leaking brake cylinders: Frequently deferred during the year but flagged at annual.

    Instrument markings: Faded or missing range markings on airspeed indicators, tachometers, manifold pressure gauges. Minor to fix but commonly noted.

    ELT battery expiration: The 406 MHz ELT battery has a replacement date. If it’s due within the next year, some IAs flag it.

    Seat track and stop condition: After several fatal accidents traced to seat slippage, inspectors scrutinize seat rail stops and locking mechanisms.

    Paperwork deficiencies: Weight and balance not updated after equipment changes. Missing 337 forms for previous alterations. Incomplete log entries.

    Annual vs. 100-Hour Inspection: Understanding the Difference

    The annual and the 100-hour inspection are identical in scope. Same checklist, same Appendix D requirements, same level of scrutiny. The difference is when each is required and who can sign it off.

    Annual inspection: Required every 12 calendar months for all aircraft under Part 91 (with limited exceptions for special categories). Can only be performed and approved by an IA, certified repair station, or manufacturer.

    100-hour inspection: Required only when the aircraft is operated for hire — flight instruction for hire, or carrying passengers or property for compensation. The 100-hour requirement sits on top of the annual requirement; it doesn’t replace it. An A&P without IA authorization can perform the 100-hour inspection.

    If you use your aircraft exclusively for personal transportation under Part 91, you have no 100-hour requirement. Annual only. If you rent your aircraft back to a flight school or provide any for-hire operations, you need both.

    One efficiency note: if a 100-hour inspection is due and performed by an IA, they can sign it off as an annual, resetting the 12-month clock. This avoids duplicative inspections.

    Return to Airworthy: What Happens When a Squawk Is Found

    When the inspection reveals a discrepancy, the aircraft is not airworthy until that item is corrected. The process is straightforward but must be documented properly.

    The IA cannot sign off the annual until all discrepancies are resolved or the owner chooses to leave items uncorrected. If you decline repairs, the IA must provide a signed, dated list of discrepancies. The aircraft cannot return to service until those items are addressed and signed off.

    For items that can be corrected: the repair or replacement is performed, then documented in the maintenance record with a return-to-service entry per §43.9. Only after all items are resolved can the IA make the annual inspection entry in the maintenance record.

    That entry must include: the type of inspection, the date, aircraft total time, the signature of the person approving the return to service, and their certificate type and number.

    If a major repair is required during the inspection — not just minor maintenance — a separate FAA Form 337 may be required. The IA determines whether the repair qualifies as major per Part 43 Appendix A.

    How Squawkd Helps

    Squawkd keeps your AD compliance status, component life tracking, and complete maintenance history in one place. When annual inspection time comes, you can generate a full maintenance summary that gives your IA exactly what they need to verify compliance quickly — no digging through boxes of paper.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: Does a signed-off annual inspection mean the FAA has certified my aircraft is airworthy?

    No. The FAA issued your original airworthiness certificate when the aircraft was manufactured or imported. The annual inspection sign-off is the IA’s attestation that they performed the required inspection and found the aircraft in airworthy condition at that time. Continued airworthiness remains your responsibility as the owner under §91.403. The FAA does not review or approve annual inspection results.

    Q: Can I fly my aircraft to an IA for the annual inspection if it’s already overdue?

    Yes, with limitations. Under §91.409(e), you may operate an aircraft to a location where the inspection can be performed, but you cannot carry passengers and the flight must be the most direct route practical. This is sometimes called a “ferry permit” informally, though no formal permit is required for this specific situation.

    Q: What happens if my IA finds something during the annual but I can’t afford the repair right now?

    The IA cannot sign off the annual with known unairworthy conditions. Your options: complete the repair, have the IA provide a written list of discrepancies (the aircraft remains grounded until resolved), or in some cases, obtain a special flight permit under §21.197 to ferry the aircraft to a facility that can complete the work. Deferring required repairs indefinitely is not an option if you want to fly legally.

    Tags: Part 91 annual inspection, A&P IA aircraft inspection, aircraft airworthiness FAA, annual inspection preparation, AD compliance, FAA maintenance requirements, return to service

    Regulatory context: FAA

    Image search: aircraft maintenance hangar inspection

  • How to Find and Track Airworthiness Directives for Your Aircraft: A Step-by-Step Guide

    How to Find and Track Airworthiness Directives for Your Aircraft: A Step-by-Step Guide

    How to Find and Track Airworthiness Directives for Your Aircraft: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Meta description: Learn how to search FAA and EASA airworthiness directives for your aircraft by make, model, and serial number, plus track AD compliance effectively.

    You’re responsible for knowing which airworthiness directives apply to your aircraft. Miss one, and you’re flying an unairworthy aircraft—regardless of whether the oversight was innocent. The problem: ADs are scattered across multiple databases, issued by different authorities, and the applicability criteria can be buried in technical language. This guide walks you through the exact process for finding every AD that affects your aircraft and keeping track of compliance status over time.

    What Airworthiness Directives Are and Why They’re Mandatory

    Airworthiness directives are legally binding requirements issued when a safety defect is identified in a type-certificated product—aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance. They’re not recommendations. Under FAA regulations (14 CFR 39.7), no person may operate a product to which an AD applies unless the requirements of that AD have been met. EASA takes the same position under Part-M, M.A.303: the aircraft is not airworthy if applicable ADs aren’t complied with.

    ADs typically require one of three actions: a one-time inspection, a repetitive inspection at specified intervals, or a modification that terminates the recurring requirement. Some ADs give you options—you might be able to install a superseding modification instead of continuing repetitive inspections.

    The critical point: AD applicability is determined by the type certificate holder’s design, but the compliance burden falls entirely on the owner/operator. Your maintenance organization will implement the AD, but you’re the one who needs to ensure it gets done. If you’re operating under owner-approved maintenance programs, this responsibility is even more direct.

    ADs aren’t retroactive in terms of timing—you don’t suddenly owe back-compliance when a new AD drops—but they apply immediately to aircraft that meet the applicability criteria. An AD issued today that applies to your aircraft serial number becomes a compliance requirement today, even if the underlying condition has existed since manufacture.

    How to Search the FAA Airworthiness Directive Database

    The FAA maintains its AD database through the Regulatory and Guidance Library at drs.faa.gov. Here’s the exact process for finding airworthiness directives aircraft owners need to track:

    Step 1: Access the correct search interface. Navigate to rgl.faa.gov, select “Airworthiness Directives” from the document types. You’ll see search options for aircraft, engine, propeller, and appliance ADs.

    Step 2: Search by type certificate data sheet (TCDS) criteria. For aircraft ADs, enter your make and model exactly as it appears on your TCDS—not the marketing name. A Cessna 172S is listed under “Cessna” (make) and “172S” (model), not “Skyhawk.” The database is literal.

    Step 3: Filter by applicability. Results will show all ADs ever issued for that type certificate. Many won’t apply to your specific aircraft because of serial number ranges, modification status, or component part numbers. Read the Applicability section of each AD carefully. An AD for “Model 172S aircraft, serial numbers 172S8001 through 172S9500” doesn’t apply to serial number 172S10200.

    Step 4: Check for superseding ADs. ADs can be amended or superseded. If AD 2019-15-06 was superseded by AD 2022-03-11, you comply with the newer one—but you need to verify whether previous compliance actions count or whether additional steps are required.

    Step 5: Don’t forget engine and propeller ADs. Your FAA airworthiness directive search must include the powerplant. Search separately for your engine type (e.g., Lycoming IO-360-L2A) and propeller (e.g., McCauley 1A170/GM8235). These ADs are filed under the engine or propeller manufacturer, not your aircraft manufacturer.

    Step 6: Document your search. Record the date you searched, the search parameters, and the results. If an AD doesn’t apply because of serial number exclusion, note that with the specific exclusion language. This documentation becomes part of your airworthiness argument.

    How to Search the EASA AD Portal for European Compliance

    EASA maintains a dedicated AD portal at ad.easa.europa.eu. The process differs from the FAA system:

    Step 1: Understand the dual-AD environment. EASA may issue its own ADs for products type-certificated in Europe, but it also mandates compliance with ADs from the State of Design. For a U.S.-manufactured aircraft operating on an EASA registration, you typically need to comply with both FAA ADs (as the State of Design authority) and any EASA ADs issued for that type.

    Step 2: Search by type certificate holder. The EASA portal organizes ADs by the TC holder name. For Cirrus aircraft, search under “Cirrus Design Corporation.” For older Cessna models, you may need to search historical TC holder names.

    Step 3: Use the advanced filtering options. The EASA portal allows filtering by aircraft model, AD status (current, superseded, cancelled), and publication date range. Use these to narrow results to currently effective ADs.

    Step 4: Check EASA AD status classifications. EASA ADs show applicability to aircraft on EU registries. If you’re operating a U.S.-manufactured aircraft on an EASA registry, verify whether the EASA AD adds requirements beyond the FAA AD or simply adopts it. Sometimes EASA sets different compliance timeframes.

    Step 5: Review the National Aviation Authority position. Some NAAs issue additional guidance on AD compliance. Your local authority (CAA, DGAC, LBA, etc.) may have specific interpretations or approved alternative methods of compliance. Check their publications alongside the EASA AD compliance requirements.

    Building Your AD Compliance List and Tracking Status

    Once you’ve identified all applicable ADs, you need a system to track compliance status. Here’s what that system must capture:

    For each applicable AD, document: the AD number, issue date, effective date, subject description, applicability statement (why it applies to your aircraft), compliance requirement (one-time, recurring, or terminated by modification), compliance status (open, complied, or not applicable), compliance evidence (work order, logbook entry, part number of installed modification), and next action due (for recurring requirements).

    Organize by compliance category. Group ADs into: complied one-time (no further action), complied recurring (track next due), open (action required before next flight or by calendar/hours deadline), and not applicable (document the exclusion reason).

    Review the list after any maintenance. When a component is replaced, check whether the new part changes AD applicability. Installing a replacement fuel pump with a different part number might bring new ADs into scope—or might comply with an AD terminating action.

    Cross-reference with Service Bulletins. Many ADs reference manufacturer Service Bulletins as the compliance method. Track SB status alongside AD status. Some SBs become mandatory via AD; others remain optional but affect AD applicability if accomplished. For more background on the relationship between these documents, see our overview of finding airworthiness directives.

    Audit before annual/100-hour inspections. Provide your IA or maintenance organization with your current AD list and compliance status before the inspection. This lets them verify your records against their search and flag any discrepancies. It also demonstrates you’re meeting your owner obligations under Part-91 or Part-ML.

    How Squawkd Helps

    Squawkd’s compliance tracker lets you import your aircraft’s AD list and set alerts for recurring inspection deadlines. The platform links compliance records directly to maintenance log entries, so you’re not reconciling spreadsheets against paper logbooks.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: How often are new airworthiness directives issued for GA aircraft?

    The FAA issues roughly 300-400 ADs per year across all product categories, with a smaller subset affecting GA piston aircraft. EASA’s output varies but follows a similar pattern. New ADs can appear at any time—there’s no fixed schedule. Set up RSS feeds or email alerts from both rgl.faa.gov and ad.easa.europa.eu to catch new issuances relevant to your type. Checking monthly is a reasonable minimum for a GA owner.

    Q: What happens if I discover an AD wasn’t complied with before I bought the aircraft?

    The aircraft is technically unairworthy until the AD is complied with. You cannot legally fly it to maintenance—you’ll need to arrange compliance at the aircraft’s current location or obtain a ferry permit. For pre-purchase, this is why AD compliance verification is a standard part of any competent pre-buy inspection. If you missed it, address it now and document the correction in your maintenance records.

    Q: Can my mechanic sign off an AD compliance, or does it require an IA?

    Depends on the work required. If the AD calls for an inspection that doesn’t require disassembly beyond normal servicing, an A&P can perform and sign off the work under Part 43.3. If the AD requires an approval for return to service after a major repair or alteration, you’ll need an IA signoff. EASA rules differ—work must be performed under an approved maintenance organization structure as defined in your aircraft’s continuing airworthiness management arrangements.

    Tags: airworthiness directives, AD compliance, FAA AD search, EASA regulations, aircraft maintenance tracking, regulatory compliance, GA ownership

    Regulatory context: Both

    Image search: aircraft maintenance hangar inspection