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flight blog

by Jeff Dyberg

A&P/IA

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Wheel Leaking

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“Do you mind having a look at my plane? I think the wheel is leaking.”

I looked up to see a student pilot sheepishly asking for a second opinion, and the odd question caught my attention. How does a metal wheel “leak”?

While walking out to the flight line the student explained to me that they had just purchased the plane a week before and knew it was in good condition because the former owner was an IA, and had just signed off the annual inspection himself.

Upon reaching the plane it all made sense. The “leaky wheel” was actually bearing grease that had disintegrated to the point it had become liquefied, and was now dripping down the sidewall of the tire. This plane with the “fresh annual” had wheel bearing grease that hadn’t been serviced in years.

That’s when I asked the student a question I already knew the answer to: “Did you get a Pre-Buy?”

“A what?” was the response.

Sadly, our new friend had fallen victim to one of airplane purchasing’s most popular gimmicks (“fresh annual”) which also happens to be one of the easiest to avoid.

For most of us an airplane is one of the largest purchases we make and we should take extra steps to protect ourselves before making the investment. That means performing a “Pre-Buy” inspection. Not sure if a pre-buy is worth it or even know what it is? Let’s demystify the process and clarify some misconceptions.

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WHAT IS A PRE-BUY?

Essentially a pre-buy inspection is when a neutral party works with the buyer and seller to inspect the condition of the aircraft, much like taking a used car to a mechanic to inspect before buying a car.

What specifically does a pre-buy include? That’s up to you!

The FAA does not regulate or define a pre-buy inspection. There is no list or procedure in the FAR’s outlining what constitutes a pre-buy. That has created some confusion about what specifically should be included, but here are some conventionally accepted items:

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Seat Rail Cracks

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Interior and exterior airframe inspection

-Less detailed than one performed during an annual, but thorough enough to detect major corrosion issues or obvious structural defects. The purpose here isn’t to investigate every nook and cranny of the plane. Rather, it’s to assess the general condition of the airframe for general neglect or deficiencies. (The aforementioned student pilot required not only new bearing grease, but the obviously cracked wheels and brakes were antiquated and unavailable, and the upgrade to newer parts added almost three thousand dollars to their repair bill. A simple walk-around inspection by a competent mechanic would have caught these defects. This is the type of surprise a pre-buy is attempting to avoid.)

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Engine Mount Rot

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AD Compliance

-This one requires the owner to provide the inspector with the applicable logbooks, and sometimes an hour or two of digging through them to confirm all AD’s are up to date. Keep in mind some AD’s can cost thousands of dollars to comply with, and some add several hours (dollars) to every annual inspection if they’re recurring. That can drastically change the value of the plane to the buyer.

Also, be wary of ambiguous log book entries like “All AD’s current” or similar vague claims. AD compliance reports addressing each individual AD, including a date and method of compliance instill more confidence than a blanket statement of currency.

Ultimately, the items included in a pre-buy inspection are determined on a case-by-case basis. Make sure to clarify what you want with your mechanic prior to beginning work so everyone knows what is expected.

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Fuel Stains

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Powerplant inspection

-The engine should be inspected for obvious signs of oil, fuel, and exhaust leaks and general condition of all hoses and other components (again, not as involved as one performed during an annual. We’re looking for the obvious stuff.)

-A thorough engine run-up should be performed, including a mag check. (Don’t waste your time checking mag timing. That’s a minor maintenance issue that doesn’t involve expensive repairs. Pre-buys should ignore the little stuff.)

-Compression check? While this is a standard test that can provide good information about cylinder condition, keep in mind that it would require the A&P performing the test to include a log book entry (as a result of the spark plugs needing to be re-torqued after the test.) Not all owners are willing to have an unknown A&P perform “maintenance” on their plane. A possible compromise is to have the owner install the plugs himself while the inspector performs the compression check. While most mechanics will perform this test during a pre-buy, it is, of course, not required.

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WHO CAN PERFORM A PRE-BUY

Again, there’s no FAR addressing this though the inspector, at the very least, should be an experienced A&P. The inspector should be someone familiar with the specific plane being inspected. Don’t take an Ercoupe to a Piper shop, and don’t have a Cub specialist look over an R-44. The inspector should be someone that has enough experience to recognize the peculiarities (and known issues) of the plane you’re interested in buying.

Likewise, your superbest hangar buddy Jimbo may have 200 upvotes on his MooneySpace profile and know lots of cool tricks to get 3000 hours out of a single oil filter, but this type of inspection is best left for certificated mechanics. What’s most important is that the client and mechanic have a solid rapport and understand what specifically is expected for the inspection.

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WHAT IS A PRE-BUY NOT?

The purpose of the pre-buy is to discover the aircraft’s condition, not its value. A pre-buy inspection is NOT an appraisal. Ultimately, a planes value is whatever the purchaser and seller agree it is. That said, a pre-buy can provide important information regarding defects, both mechanically and compliance-wise, that can inform the buyer and seller about the planes value.

A pre-buy is NOT an annual inspection. There is no need for a mechanic to test every bulb, torque every bolt, or wiggle every wire during a pre-buy. The idea is to get a general impression of the aircraft’s condition, not write up every squawk that needs to be addressed in a perfect world. This is worth noting because pre-buy inspections typically cost a few hundred dollars as opposed to well over a thousand for a proper annual inspection. During a pre-buy you want your mechanic to focus on the biggies, not spend their time on every minor defect. Notwithstanding the caveat that a pre-buy is what you want it to be, if your mechanic is writing up stained carpets on a pre-buy, he’s either focused on the wrong things or he’s charging you too much.

A pre-buy will not go down in the logbook as an annual inspection. Some people choose to pay for an annual in lieu of a pre-buy, and this mechanic would never turn away free money. From a buyers standpoint though, it’s hard to justify the cost and time to pay for such an involved project for a plane you’re not even sure you want to own yet. Keep in mind too that if an airworthy item is discovered during this “pre-buy annual,” a very uncomfortable love triangle is created between mechanic, buyer, and owner regarding who will authorize and pay for repairs. That said, oftentimes a shop may offer a discount on an annual if they perform the pre-buy and the sale eventually goes through.

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WHO SHOULD GET A PRE-BUY?

Anyone buying a plane! If you’ve found a plane that fits your mission and is in the right price range, a few hundred dollars pre-buy can save you many thousands of dollars in post-buy headaches. The mechanics and IA’s at General Aviation have performed countless pre-buy inspections and we’re familiar with a wide range of aircraft. If you have any questions about an upcoming purchase we’re available to walk you through the pre-buy process.

A pre-buy is a cheap way to protect yourself from buying someone else’s problems.  And remember: When someone tells you a plane has a “fresh annual,” make sure to check for wheel leaks.

Happy wrenching!  

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