Faa 8083-30

Inspections are visual examinations and manual checks
to determine the condition of an aircraft or component.
An aircraft inspection can range from a casual walkaround to a detailed inspection involving complete
disassembly and the use of complex inspection aids.
An inspection system consists of several processes,
including reports made by mechanics or the pilot or
crew flying an aircraftand regularly scheduled inspections of an aircraft. An inspection system is designed
to maintain an aircraft in the best possible condition.
Thorough and repeated inspections must be considered
the backbone of a good maintenance program. Irregular and haphazard inspection will invariably result in
gradual and certain deterioration of an aircraft. The
time spent in repairing an abused aircraftoften totals far
more than any time saved in hurrying through routine
inspections and maintenance.
It has been proven that regularly scheduled inspections
and preventive maintenance assure airworthiness.
Operating failures and malfunctions of equipment are
appreciably reduced if excessive wear or minor defects
are detected and corrected early. The importance of
inspections and the properuse of records concerning
these inspections cannot be overemphasized.
Airframe and engine inspections may range from
preflight inspections to detailed inspections. The time
intervals for the inspection periods vary with the models
of aircraft involved and the types of operations being
conducted. The airframe and engine manufacturer’s
instructions should be consulted when establishinginspection intervals.
Aircraft may be inspected using flight hours as a basis
for scheduling, or on a calendar inspection system.
Under the calendar inspection system, the appropriate
inspection is performed on the expiration of a specified number of calendar weeks. The calendar inspection system is an efficient system from a maintenance
management standpoint. Scheduled replacement of

componentswith stated hourly operating limitations is
normally accomplished during the calendar inspection
falling nearest the hourly limitation.
In some instances, a flight hour limitation is established
to limit the number of hours that may be flown during
the calendar interval.
Aircraft operating under the flight hour system are
inspected when a specified number of flight hours are
accumulated.Components with stated hourly operating
limitations are normally replaced during the inspection
that falls nearest the hourly limitation.

Basic Inspection
Techniques/Practices
Before starting an inspection, be certain all plates,
access doors, fairings, and cowling have been opened
or removed and the structure cleaned. When opening
inspection plates and cowling and before cleaning thearea, take note of any oil or other evidence of fluid
leakage.

Preparation
In order to conduct a thorough inspection, a great
deal of paperwork and/or reference information must
be accessed and studied before actually proceeding
to the aircraft to conduct the inspection. The aircraft
logbooks must be reviewed to provide background
information and a maintenance history of the particularaircraft. The appropriate checklist or checklists must
be utilized to ensure that no items will be forgotten or
overlooked during the inspection. Also, many additional publications must be available, either in hard
copy or in electronic format to assist in the inspections.
These additional publications may include information
provided by the aircraft and engine manufacturers,
appliancemanufacturers, parts venders, and the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA).

8-1

Aircraft Logs
“Aircraft logs,” as used in this handbook, is an inclusive term which applies to the aircraft logbook and all
supplemental records concerned with the aircraft. They
may come in a variety of formats. For a small aircraft,
the log may indeed be a small 5" × 8" logbook. For
larger aircraft, the...