Airworthiness directives

[N4005V]

I am looking for a comprehensive list of AD's that apply to a 1948 170. I have been looking the FAA web site , but the search tool is garbage. I get stuff that does not apply to my airplane, accessories are sometimes under the old name and sometimes the new name. The dated AD's have a 4 digit year sometimes and a 2 digit others. If I had a list of everything that might apply to to the 1948 and all possible accessories then I could start a process of elimination, but searching the FAA web is not including AD's that I know exist. Complying to AD's is the Owner/Operators responsibility how does everyone else do it?

[GAHorn]

This subject is one of the most misunderstood in the industry.

Simply put...there is no ONE list that will guarantee an owner will have covered every AD applicable to his airplane. This is because there are no two airplanes out there that (after 60 years) have the same identical installed equipment. There is an AD list which applies to the general model aircraft (Cessna 170 aircraft) and another list which applies to the STANDARD engine ....but many many many lists of the many many many engines which might be installed. Then there is the accessories which might be installed upon those engines. Then there is the avionics which might be installed. Did I mention the propellers?

When you finish with all those lists....(are you ready for this?)..... you still might miss the fact that someone, somewhere, installed some seats from some other Cessna into YOUR Cessna 170....and the AD lists which apply to the airplane which had those seats as original equipment....might list an AD against those seats. But the problem is, the seats in YOUR airplane are not identified as to what model Cessna they came out of, or what year-model, or what serial-number even ....from which they were removed before they were stuck into your airplane.

Oh! Wait! You have skis? and FLOATS? And how many after-market STCs?

One way many owners and inspectors deal with this problem is to inspect in a detailed manner (annual) each and every item on the airplane,...and make a comparison with an AD-Software package such as IA-Approach (whichever version is the latest). Most owners are loathe to spend the money for such software. And many owners will even fuss at their inspectors for the charges made to research this problem.

You have just enlightened a lot of folks by asking this question now, haven't you?

[Brad Brady]

Now you have an idea why an annual costs $1000.00 or in that neighborhood. Before repairs. When I get a new plane I usually wind up EATING about 8 to 10 hours, chasing down paper work.....I figure in the long run,If I get to keep the aircraft in the fold, it is time well spent. As George mentioned there is to many variances in any one aircraft to have a simple guideline. That's why you hire a professional......Brad

[GAHorn]

Yep!
And as an owner, if you want to try to cut down on repetitive money-spent on researching the same old ADs....then for goodness sakes make a current list as best you can...and document on that list the METHOD the AD was complied and WHEN the AD re-occurs...if any.

An AD-list which merely states "All Ad's complied" is a worthless, lazy document. A list which says "AD2006-20-2 complied with" is equally useless.

List the AD-number, the date complied, the method complied, and the date or aircraft time it re-occurs.