Pre-buy horror story.

[Tom-D]

I watched a Cessna going up the Freeway last week, thought I recognized the N and colors.
I looked it up today, and found that I was called for a council on its maintenance about 6 months ago.
I had been asked to advise the owner if the FBO doing the annual was doing the repairs correctly.
So I went to take a look, the rear vertical fin attachment fitting was being replaced due to exfoliating corrosion, and the reassembly could not be completed with out placing the vertical fin in a bind then hinge line of the fin would not align with the hinge point on the fuselage.
It became apparent that this old aircraft had been on its back and the whole aft fuselage was bent, But the stripping and pretty new paint job removed any signs of that.
Knowing that if one fitting was corroded why not look for others? We found the forward spar carry thru rivets severely corroded, as was the rear cabin bulkhead.
I made the FBO owner aware and they thanked me.
I asked the aircraft owner when he had bought the aircraft he stated about a year prior and this was his first annual. I then asked who he had do his pre-buy, he said my friend who owns one like this. I asked if they were an A&P, he said no.

I was glad to see it on a trailer headed to the best sheet metal man I know. I will hate to see the bill.

 

[Mason]

Cheap prebuy can be expensive later.

 

[Kristin]

I am working on a Comanche for a new owner that had a cheap pre-buy by a friend of the seller. I am sure that the mechanic, even if not conflicted, didn't know much about Comanches. This annual will be well into the five figures.

 

[frfly172]

Never go the cheap route on a pre buy,it always comes back to haunt you.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Too many people don't see the fleet as getting very old. Many, many airplanes are older than their owners. How many of us own cars older than we are?

40 and 50 years of less-than-ideal maintenance tend to add up to some expensive repairs for someone.

 

[Tom-D]

Too many people don't see the fleet as getting very old. Many, many airplanes are older than their owners. How many of us own cars older than we are?

40 and 50 years of less-than-ideal maintenance tend to add up to some expensive repairs for someone.

I look for a clean corrosion free airframe, then simply spend the money for new stuff, rather than try to find a great deal on someone else's restore/mod.