A C152 pilot owner found, 1 yr later, that he had purchased an unairworthy aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	599868
Time
Date	200310
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10.1 flight time total : 155.5 flight time type : 148.5
ASRS Report	599868
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

The current problem occurred because of an incorrect and incomplete pre-purchase annual inspection. The issues that should have been addressed in the aforementioned inspection include: ignoring a repair to the leading edge of the wing that does not conform to cessna approved repair methods. Ignoring a stop-drilled crack on the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer that had been puttied and painted over. Overlooking stains on the gas tanks that indicate worn out seals. Not correcting the incorrectly installed propeller. Not addressing severe rudder hinge wear. Because these issues and others were not addressed, the aircraft passed its pre-purchase annual inspection and, by contract, I was bound to purchase the aircraft. Upon what was supposed to be a complete annual inspection, I took possession of, and paid for, the aircraft. Another person and I have been flying it for a yr and logged over 120 hours combined. The group of problems that were discovered during the current annual inspection (now in progress by an FBO have existed for yrs). Several items alone from this group could have rendered the aircraft unairworthy. The combination and number of these items shows how incomplete the previous inspections actually were. There are no provisions specified in the poh regarding how to detect most of these problems. Without the knowledge and resources of a trained mechanic or more complete aircraft documentation for the pilot, there is no way to detect the current problems in question. It is also necessary to have an understanding of cessna-approved methods for wing and stabilizer repairs, which apparently some mechanics do not have. Corrective repairs are now being completed at a cost of $9100 (almost 50% of the original purchase price). The aircraft will remain grounded until all repairs and corrections have been completed. The cause of the immediate problem was the lack of a complete and thorough annual inspection as requested at the time of purchase.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 PLT OWNER FOUND, 1 YR LATER, THAT HE HAD PURCHASED AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT.

Narrative: THE CURRENT PROB OCCURRED BECAUSE OF AN INCORRECT AND INCOMPLETE PRE-PURCHASE ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE ISSUES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED INSPECTION INCLUDE: IGNORING A REPAIR TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING THAT DOES NOT CONFORM TO CESSNA APPROVED REPAIR METHODS. IGNORING A STOP-DRILLED CRACK ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE VERT STABILIZER THAT HAD BEEN PUTTIED AND PAINTED OVER. OVERLOOKING STAINS ON THE GAS TANKS THAT INDICATE WORN OUT SEALS. NOT CORRECTING THE INCORRECTLY INSTALLED PROP. NOT ADDRESSING SEVERE RUDDER HINGE WEAR. BECAUSE THESE ISSUES AND OTHERS WERE NOT ADDRESSED, THE ACFT PASSED ITS PRE-PURCHASE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND, BY CONTRACT, I WAS BOUND TO PURCHASE THE ACFT. UPON WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A COMPLETE ANNUAL INSPECTION, I TOOK POSSESSION OF, AND PAID FOR, THE ACFT. ANOTHER PERSON AND I HAVE BEEN FLYING IT FOR A YR AND LOGGED OVER 120 HRS COMBINED. THE GROUP OF PROBS THAT WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION (NOW IN PROGRESS BY AN FBO HAVE EXISTED FOR YRS). SEVERAL ITEMS ALONE FROM THIS GROUP COULD HAVE RENDERED THE ACFT UNAIRWORTHY. THE COMBINATION AND NUMBER OF THESE ITEMS SHOWS HOW INCOMPLETE THE PREVIOUS INSPECTIONS ACTUALLY WERE. THERE ARE NO PROVISIONS SPECIFIED IN THE POH REGARDING HOW TO DETECT MOST OF THESE PROBS. WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES OF A TRAINED MECH OR MORE COMPLETE ACFT DOCUMENTATION FOR THE PLT, THERE IS NO WAY TO DETECT THE CURRENT PROBS IN QUESTION. IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF CESSNA-APPROVED METHODS FOR WING AND STABILIZER REPAIRS, WHICH APPARENTLY SOME MECHS DO NOT HAVE. CORRECTIVE REPAIRS ARE NOW BEING COMPLETED AT A COST OF $9100 (ALMOST 50% OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE). THE ACFT WILL REMAIN GNDED UNTIL ALL REPAIRS AND CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. THE CAUSE OF THE IMMEDIATE PROB WAS THE LACK OF A COMPLETE AND THOROUGH ANNUAL INSPECTION AS REQUESTED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.