Hello,
I just emailed the following message to Caulkins Aero Service in Houston Texas. I thought some of you, especially those in the Houston area, may be interested:
Dear sir,
With this latest discrepancy that we just discovered, I believe that you needed to be notified. Some history.........
I purchased a Cessna 150/150, (N999ED), last year. During the sales process, your company performed an annual on this aircraft. I then had the aircraft ferried to me here in Oregon.
When the plane arrived, the spinner was showing damage due to excessive rubbing on the cowl. (Going back and taking a closer look of the pictures I received during the sales process showed where the cowl was being worn by the spinner at that time!) Further examination discovered totally worn and sagging engine mounts. Which were immediately replaced. When the cowl was removed, we discovered severely worn, or missing, engine baffling, and missing cowl mounts. Also immediately repaired or replaced. The steering rod boots were torn. The fuel valve and gascolator were leaking and required new seals. Plus, various other smaller items which were addressed over the year. Now, when one purchases an aircraft sight unseen, one expects to find some problems, so I just chalked these findings up to being lucky that nothing more serious was wrong with the aircraft.
Well, during the annual we just performed recently, we did find there was indeed something more serious over looked during your annual inspection of the aircraft. When we removed the shroud off of the muffler, the muffler walls were completely eroded through in large areas. Damage that just could not have happened in the single year since your company inspected the aircraft. I literally got sick when we found this, knowing how lucky my family, as well as the pilot I hired to ferry the aircraft, has been to still be alive.
I just thought you should be advised of what type of work your mechanics are putting out the door with your name in the logbook.
Very sincerely yours,
William R. Fyfe
