Same aircraft with 12,000 TT where I don't know the history, except for what's in the logs.....not a chance. Just because it's documented in the logs, does not necesasarily mean the job was performed correctly.
Bengie mentions some very valid points about logbooks. How much value do logbooks have? In my opinion? Not much! Only as much as what the person keeping the logbooks at the particular time wants to know, or wants YOU to know about that aircraft. Now, I keep a logbook even on each of my automobiles. It helps me in their maintenance and upkeep. So, I tend to do the same with our airplane. But, let's just take a look at the logbooks of 72G prior to our owning her, shall we? This airplane has been totally repainted at one time. When? Why? Who knows! There is nothing mentioned in the logbooks. Let's look at the prop. I have three yellow tags in my records of this airplane concerning props. I have two logbook entries concerning props. But, when on looks at the prop presently installed, it matches none of the yellow tags or either of the logbook entries! HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.........................
Good things always seem to make their way into the logbooks while the not-so-good items seem to just slip by. Example. A friend bought a Cessna 175. Close inspection will find extensive repairs to one wing. In this case, the repairs were done well, and right. But, when or why these repairs were done? Again, it is anybody's guess. And, I suspect the repairs were "over looked" in the log book because somebody did not want documented damage history. So, in the end, only a good, personal inspection will truely tell you the condition of the aircraft you are intending to buy.
Unless you have a single owner aircraft of whom has kept meticulous logbooks, I believe logbooks are sometimes nice to have, but definitely not to be depended upon.
With all of that said, I do believe logbooks serve one purpose very well. And that is to provide the FAA an excellent source of first hand information in which to hang an owner, if that is their intent!
