FAA guidance calls for aircraft cleaning before annual inspections
A reader asked whether washing an aircraft is required during an annual inspection. The FAA's guidance says aircraft and engines must be thoroughly cleaned beforehand to ensure airworthiness issues are not missed.
The FAA requires an aircraft and its engine to be thoroughly cleaned before an annual or 100-hour inspection, per agency guidance, so airworthiness problems aren't missed.
A reader raised the question after a shop declined to wash their general aviation aircraft during its annual inspection, telling them nobody washes airplanes anymore. The reader asked whether cleaning appears in Part 43, Appendix D, of the federal aviation regulations, and how an exterior can be inspected completely without it.
The FAA says guidance on cleaning and preventing corrosion damage is available and includes instructions on washing the aircraft. Maintenance personnel should follow the applicable aircraft and engine manufacturer maintenance instructions for cleaning methods, materials and precautions specific to the aircraft.
The agency's summary of the requirement is limited to that cleaning expectation. The reader also questioned what other work may have been skipped.
Sources
- flyingmag.comIs Washing Airplane Part of the Annual?