18 Airframe Inspection & Airworthiness Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. An annual inspection is completed and signed off on 12 March. Under 14 CFR part 91, through what date does that annual inspection remain current?

   • A.Through 12 March of the following year
   • B.Through 31 March of the year after that
   • C.Through 28 February of the following year
   • D.Through 31 March of the following year✓ Answer

   14 CFR 91.409(a) requires that the annual have been performed within the preceding 12 CALENDAR months. A calendar month runs to its last day, so an inspection signed on 12 March remains current through 31 March of the following year — the interval is not measured to the day, and it is not a 24-month interval like the altimeter and transponder checks.

   Source: 14 CFR 91.409(a)Report a problem with this question

2. 2. Which operation requires that the airplane have had a 100-hour inspection under 14 CFR 91.409(b)?

   • A.An owner flying his own airplane on personal business trips
   • B.A rental airplane flown solo by a certificated private pilot for pleasure
   • C.A flight school giving flight instruction for hire in an airplane it provides✓ Answer
   • D.An owner carrying friends on a sightseeing flight at no charge

   14 CFR 91.409(b) requires a 100-hour inspection only when the aircraft carries persons other than a crewmember FOR HIRE, or gives flight instruction for hire in an aircraft the instructor (or school) provides. Simply renting an airplane to a pilot who flies it himself is not carriage for hire, so no 100-hour inspection is triggered.

   Source: 14 CFR 91.409(b)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. An airplane that must have a 100-hour inspection reaches 100 hours of time in service. What does 14 CFR 91.409(b) allow?

   • A.Up to 10 hours more on any flight, and the same allowance applies to an overdue annual inspection
   • B.Up to 25 hours more while en route to the inspection facility; the excess is subtracted from the next interval
   • C.Up to 10 hours more on any flight; the next interval still begins at a full 100 hours
   • D.Up to 10 hours more while en route to the inspection facility; the excess is subtracted from the next interval✓ Answer

   Under 14 CFR 91.409(b) the 100-hour limit may be exceeded by not more than 10 hours, and only while EN ROUTE to a place where the inspection can be performed; the excess time must be included in computing the next 100 hours of time in service. There is no comparable allowance for the annual inspection, which is a calendar limit.

   Source: 14 CFR 91.409(b)Report a problem with this question

4. 4. Which statement correctly describes the altimeter system and static pressure system tests required by 14 CFR 91.411?

   • A.Within the preceding 100 hours of time in service, whenever the aircraft is operated under IFR
   • B.Within the preceding 24 calendar months, whenever the aircraft is operated under IFR✓ Answer
   • C.Within the preceding 24 calendar months, whenever the aircraft is operated at all
   • D.Within the preceding 12 calendar months, whenever the aircraft is operated under IFR

   14 CFR 91.411 prohibits IFR operation in controlled airspace unless the static system, each altimeter, and the automatic pressure altitude reporting system have been tested and inspected within the preceding 24 calendar months in accordance with part 43 Appendices E and F. The separate transponder test of 14 CFR 91.413 is also 24 calendar months but applies whether the flight is IFR or VFR.

   Source: 14 CFR 91.411; 14 CFR 91.413Report a problem with this question

5. 5. The annual inspection on a part 91 aircraft has expired and the owner wants to fly it to a maintenance base 200 miles away. What makes that flight legal?

   • A.A special flight permit issued by the FAA for the flight to the maintenance base✓ Answer
   • B.The 10-hour en route allowance, which applies once the inspection has come due
   • C.An entry by a certificated mechanic authorizing a one-time ferry flight to the base
   • D.Day VFR operation with no passengers aboard and no flight instruction given

   An aircraft whose annual has expired does not meet 14 CFR 91.409(a) and may not be operated. A special flight permit (ferry permit) issued under 14 CFR 21.197 is the only way to fly it to a point where the inspection can be performed. The 10-hour en route allowance belongs solely to the 100-hour inspection, and no mechanic's record entry can substitute for the permit.

   Source: 14 CFR 21.197; 14 CFR 91.409(a)Report a problem with this question

6. 6. Which statement about the checklist used for an annual or 100-hour inspection is correct?

   • A.The FAA recommends a checklist, but its use is left to the judgment of the person inspecting
   • B.Only a checklist supplied by the aircraft manufacturer may be used, since it alone reflects the type design
   • C.A checklist is required for the annual inspection but is optional for the 100-hour inspection
   • D.A checklist of the mechanic's own design may be used if it covers the scope and detail of Appendix D✓ Answer

   14 CFR 43.15(c)(1) requires each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection to use a checklist. The checklist may be of that person's own design, one provided by the manufacturer, or one obtained from any other source, but it must include at least the scope and detail of the items in part 43 Appendix D.

   Source: 14 CFR 43.15(c)(1); 14 CFR part 43 Appendix DReport a problem with this question

7. 7. Which item must appear in the record entry for a 100-hour inspection but is not required in the entry for maintenance such as replacing a wing rib?

   • A.The date the work or inspection was completed
   • B.The signature, certificate number, and kind of certificate held
   • C.A description of the work or a reference to acceptable data
   • D.The aircraft total time in service✓ Answer

   Inspections under part 91 are recorded under 14 CFR 43.11, which requires the type and extent of the inspection, the date AND the aircraft total time in service, the signature and certificate data, and the airworthiness statement. A maintenance entry under 14 CFR 43.9 requires a description of the work, the date, and the signature and certificate data, but not total time in service.

   Source: 14 CFR 43.11(a)(2); 14 CFR 43.9(a)Report a problem with this question

8. 8. A mechanic completes an annual inspection and finds items that make the aircraft unairworthy. What must be done with the maintenance record?

   • A.The inspection is entered as complete and the aircraft is placarded until the items are corrected
   • B.A signed entry states the inspection was made and a dated discrepancy list was given to the owner✓ Answer
   • C.No entry is made, because a record entry may only certify an aircraft found airworthy
   • D.The aircraft is approved for return to service with the discrepancies noted for later correction

   14 CFR 43.11(a)(5) requires the person who disapproves an aircraft to make and sign an entry giving the type of inspection and stating that a list of discrepancies and unairworthy items dated (date) has been provided for the aircraft owner or operator. 14 CFR 43.11(b) requires that signed and dated list actually be given to the owner or lessee — the record is never simply left blank.

   Source: 14 CFR 43.11(a)(5); 14 CFR 43.11(b)Report a problem with this question

9. 9. Which record must be transferred to the purchaser when a part 91 aircraft is sold?

   • A.The list of discrepancies from the last inspection, which is kept two years after repair
   • B.The inspection checklist used at the last annual, which must stay with the aircraft records
   • C.The entry for the most recent tire change, which becomes a permanent record after one year
   • D.The current status of applicable ADs, with method of compliance and next due time for recurring ADs✓ Answer

   14 CFR 91.417(a)(2) makes the current AD status — including the method of compliance, the AD number and revision date, and, for recurring ADs, the time and date the next action is due — a permanent record, along with total time in service, life-limited part status, time since overhaul, current inspection status, and Form 337 copies. 14 CFR 91.419 requires these records to be transferred with the aircraft at sale, while 91.417(a)(1) work records need only be kept until superseded or for one year.

   Source: 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2); 14 CFR 91.419Report a problem with this question

10. 10. A mechanic holds airframe and powerplant ratings but does not hold an Inspection Authorization. Which of the following may that mechanic do?

    • A.Perform a 100-hour inspection on an airframe and approve it for return to service✓ Answer
    • B.Supervise a progressive inspection program conducted at an operator's home base
    • C.Approve for return to service an airframe major repair made using approved data
    • D.Perform an annual inspection and approve the aircraft for return to service

    14 CFR 65.85 lets an airframe-rated mechanic perform the 100-hour inspection on an airframe and approve it for return to service, but excludes major repairs and major alterations. 14 CFR 65.95 reserves to the holder of an Inspection Authorization the annual inspection, the approval of major repairs and major alterations, and performing or supervising a progressive inspection.

    Source: 14 CFR 65.85; 14 CFR 65.95Report a problem with this question

11. 11. An AD requires repetitive inspection of a wing attach fitting. On one aircraft that fitting was replaced with a new part under an approved repair. How does the AD apply?

    • A.The AD no longer applies, because the new part removed the unsafe condition it addresses
    • B.The AD applies only until the next annual, when the repair is entered in the records
    • C.The AD applies only if the owner has requested an alternative method of compliance
    • D.The AD still applies; repairing or altering the area addressed does not relieve compliance✓ Answer

    14 CFR 39.15 states that an AD applies to each product identified in it even if the individual product has been modified, altered, or repaired in the area addressed by the AD. Relief is obtained only through an alternative method of compliance approved under 14 CFR 39.19; the mechanic cannot decide on his own that the repair satisfied the AD.

    Source: 14 CFR 39.15; 14 CFR 39.19Report a problem with this question

12. 12. A mechanic wants to use an inspection method different from the one an AD specifies, believing it gives an equivalent level of safety. What is required before using it?

    • A.An Inspection Authorization holder must approve the alternative on FAA Form 337 at the next annual
    • B.The aircraft owner must approve the alternative and keep the written request with the records
    • C.The manager of the office identified in the AD must approve the alternative method of compliance✓ Answer
    • D.The mechanic may use the method and record the deviation in the aircraft maintenance record

    Under 14 CFR 39.19 anyone may propose an alternative method of compliance or a change in compliance time if it provides an acceptable level of safety, but the request goes through the principal inspector to the manager of the office identified in the AD, and the alternative may be used ONLY IF that manager approves it. Until then the AD's own method remains the only legal one.

    Source: 14 CFR 39.19Report a problem with this question

13. 13. A manufacturer issues a service bulletin calling for a one-time inspection of a bulkhead. For an aircraft operated under part 91, when does that inspection become mandatory?

    • A.When the next annual inspection is performed by an Inspection Authorization holder
    • B.When the manufacturer marks the service bulletin as mandatory in the bulletin itself
    • C.When the bulletin is made part of an AD or of an airworthiness limitations section✓ Answer
    • D.Never, because service bulletins are advisory documents addressed only to repair stations

    Service bulletins and service letters are manufacturer's data and are not by themselves regulatory for a part 91 operator, whatever the manufacturer calls them. They become mandatory when an AD incorporates the document by reference — 14 CFR 39.27, under which the AD controls if the two conflict — or when the content appears in the airworthiness limitations section of the ICA, which 14 CFR 43.16 requires be complied with.

    Source: 14 CFR 39.27; 14 CFR 43.16Report a problem with this question

14. 14. A major repair is being made to a fuselage frame. What data must the repair be accomplished in accordance with?

    • A.A manufacturer's service letter, because it originates with the type certificate holder
    • B.Acceptable data, because AC 43.13-1 is approved data for any airframe repair
    • C.Any data the mechanic judges adequate, provided original strength is restored
    • D.FAA-approved data, such as an approved structural repair manual section or DER-approved data✓ Answer

    Major repairs and major alterations must be accomplished using FAA-approved data; acceptable data suffices only for minor repairs and minor alterations. AC 43.13-1 is acceptable data, and may be used as approved data only when the user has determined it is appropriate to the product, it is directly applicable to the repair being made, and it is not contrary to the manufacturer's data.

    Source: 14 CFR 43.13; AC 43.13-1, ForewordReport a problem with this question

15. 15. A life-limited part that has reached its mandatory replacement limit is removed from an aircraft. What does 14 CFR 43.10 require of the person who removed it?

    • A.Control it by a method, such as mutilation or tagging, that deters its reinstallation✓ Answer
    • B.Return it to the owner with the record entry, with no further disposition needed
    • C.Mark it as overhauled once it is inspected and found free of cracks and corrosion
    • D.Store it as a serviceable part until the FAA approves an extension of the limit

    14 CFR 43.10(c) requires a life-limited part removed from a type-certificated product to be controlled by one of the listed methods — a recordkeeping system, a tag or attached record, non-permanent or permanent marking, segregation, mutilation, or another FAA-approved method — and the method chosen must deter installation of the part after its life limit has been reached. 14 CFR 43.10(d) requires the mark, tag, or record to be transferred with the part if it is later sold.

    Source: 14 CFR 43.10(c); 14 CFR 43.10(d)Report a problem with this question

16. 16. An airplane touches down smoothly but at a weight above its maximum design landing weight. Which special inspection applies?

    • A.A hard landing inspection, which covers every landing that exceeds normal structural loads
    • B.An overweight landing inspection, which is separate from the hard landing inspection✓ Answer
    • C.An inspection of the landing gear and tires only, at the next scheduled 100-hour inspection
    • D.No special inspection, because the smooth touchdown shows the structure was not overloaded

    The overweight landing inspection is triggered by the landing WEIGHT exceeding the maximum design landing weight, not by the severity of the touchdown, so a smooth arrival does not excuse it. The hard landing inspection is a different inspection, applied to landings at or below maximum design landing weight where impact severity is suspect. In both cases the detailed procedure comes from the aircraft maintenance manual.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-30 Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook (General), Ch. 10Report a problem with this question

17. 17. During an airframe inspection a black, smoky residue is found trailing aft from a line of rivets on a wing skin. What does this most likely indicate?

    • A.Filiform corrosion produced by moisture trapped under the paint film
    • B.Fretting corrosion produced by slight relative motion between tight-fitting surfaces✓ Answer
    • C.Intergranular corrosion produced by improper heat treatment of the alloy
    • D.Galvanic corrosion produced by contact between the skin and steel fasteners

    Fretting corrosion occurs where two tight-fitting surfaces rub against each other under vibration; the trapped oxide debris is a fine black powder that the airflow streams aft from the fastener line, which is why the tell-tale is a smoky black trail. Filiform shows worm-like tracks under the finish, intergranular follows grain boundaries and often gives no surface sign at all, and galvanic attack needs dissimilar metals plus an electrolyte.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-30 Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook (General), Ch. 6Report a problem with this question

18. 18. An aluminum extrusion in a wing shows lifted, flaking layers with visible swelling of the metal. Which type of corrosion is this?

    • A.Stress corrosion cracking, caused by sustained tensile stress in a corrosive setting
    • B.Exfoliation, an advanced intergranular attack that lifts the grains at the surface✓ Answer
    • C.Pitting, in which localized holes form beneath white or gray powdery deposits
    • D.Uniform surface attack, which dulls and etches the metal over a broad area

    Exfoliation is an advanced form of intergranular attack: the corrosion products occupy more volume than the metal they replace, so as they build up along the grain boundaries of a wrought alloy they force the surface grains upward, producing the layered, flaking appearance and the visible swelling. That leafed, delaminated look is what distinguishes it from pitting, uniform surface attack, and stress corrosion cracking.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-30 Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook (General), Ch. 6Report a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-1), 14 CFR parts 43, 65, and 91, and the FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook—Airframe (FAA-H-8083-31). This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration. This bank covers the AIRFRAME written test only; the General and Powerplant written tests and the oral and practical tests are separate. Torque values, cable tensions, inflation pressures, servicing quantities, wear limits, and repair criteria always come from the manufacturer's current maintenance data, the structural repair manual, and the applicable airworthiness directives — never from a practice test. Confirm current eligibility and testing requirements with the FAA before you test. About the A&P mechanic certificate →