How about a horror story ... I may have related this before, but it is a good case in point.
A friend of mine decided he wanted a 180 or 185. He spent a goodly amount of time just finding one for sale, but finally found a likely candidate in a southern state (Mississippi, I think).
The airplane had some damage history. It had been tied down during a hurricane and had been bounced up and down. This had resulted in damage to the landing gear box (according to the log books). The books indicated that the damage had been repaired in accordance with the guiding regulations and documents. In addition, the engine had been overhauled.
It was a beautiful airplane and Tom fell in love. He had a pre-buy inspection done that returned a clean bill of health, so he plunked down his money.
The first sign of trouble showed up on his flight from the south to Washington state. On his pre-flights he was noticing some glitter on the dip stick. Not good.
Upon arriving home he had his mechanic look at the engine. It turns out the "Overhaul" was a disassemble and inspect. The engine was shot. Disappointed, but game, Tom had the engine and propeller overhauled.
He happily flew this airplane all over the place, into big airports and no airports at all (it IS a 180), for a year. Time for the first annual.
He delivered the airplane to his mechanic for the annual. The following day, the mechanic called and informed Tom that there was no way he could sign this airplane off as airworthy.
The damage to the gear box had not been properly repaired. The cracks had simply been stop-drilled. Tom called the previous owner and was told "tough noogies, you bought it, its yours". Tom's next call was to the FAA.
An FAA inspector showed up to take a look. I happened to be hanging around. It was interesting. The inspector found that not only had the gear box cracks only been stopped drilled, there had been damage to the longerons that run under the cabin that had not been repaired at all. One reasonably hard landing, or moderate turbulance (the struts terminate in the gear box) and this airplane would have come apart.
The FAA promised dire consequences to all of the people involved, including the previous owner who was a commercial pilot. Great news, but not much help to Tom.
He had the choice of scrapping this airplane and starting over, or sinking a BUNCH of money into repairs. In the end, Tom decided to have it fixed. The FAA inspector allowed a ferry permit and Tom gingerly flew the airplane to P.Ponk (yes, the famous engine builder) on Camano Island.
P.Ponk ended up, basically, replacing everything from the firewall to the first bulkhead (that would be just behind the baggage compartment). In disassembly P.Ponk discovered that the door posts had also been damaged and stop-drilled. So even they had to be replaced. At one point you could walk through the suspended fuselage.
It all went back together and Tom now has a beautiful (but expensive) 180. He ended up getting some money from the previous owner, under pressure from the FAA, but it wasn't much. I don't know what the previous owner, his mechanic, and the mechanic who did the pre-buy are doing for a living now.
How did this happen ... the mechanic who did the "repairs" was related to the owner. The mechanic who did the pre-buy was related to the mechanic who did the "repairs".
The moral, if you are going to buy a plane with some damage history, make sure a qualified, thoroughly disinterested third party takes a very close look.
Reg
