C172 ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN PERFORMED BUT NOT ENTERED IN ACFT LOGBOOK.

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ON APPROX 4 TRAINING FLTS; I INSTRUCTED IN A C172. UPON AN FAA INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN OUT OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AS PIC; IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CHK ALL OF THE INSPECTIONS. THE MAINT PROCS AT OUR FLT SCHOOL ARE AS FOLLOWS: ACFT LOGBOOKS ARE KEPT IN THE HANGAR ON THE RAMP (SEPARATE FROM THE FLT SCHOOL). WHEN INSPECTIONS ARE DONE; WE RECORD THEM ON THE 'MAINT BOARD.' THE FOLLOWING INSPECTIONS ARE RECORDED: ANNUAL; 100 HR; 50 HR; XPONDER; PITOT STATIC AND ELT. IN ADDITION; THE CURRENT TACH IS RECORDED ONCE A DAY FROM SHEETS RECORDED BY THE PLT AFTER EACH FLT. ON THE MAINT BOARD ACFT HAD RECORDED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION JULY/XX/96. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN ON THAT SUPPOSED KNOWLEDGE. APPARENTLY THE ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN COMPLETED; BUT NOT SIGNED OFF IN THE LOGBOOKS. IT HAS BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE THAT THE MAINT BOARD IS RELIABLE. HOWEVER; ON THIS OCCASION; IT WAS NOT. WE ARE ADOPTING A NEW PROC OF KEEPING THE LOGBOOKS IN THE FLT SCHOOL SO THAT THEY ARE MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND THEY WILL BE CHKED BEFORE EACH FLT.