Aircraft buyer guide
Aircraft logbook review: questions for a prebuy
Review logbooks with a qualified maintenance professional and compare them with the actual aircraft. Public accident and service-report searches do not contain or replace the aircraft’s complete maintenance records.
By Aerovidence · Reviewed
Identify the records you have
FAA AC 43-9D explains maintenance record-making and record-keeping, including relevant records retained and transferred with an aircraft. Use it as an official reference when discussing the supplied records with your mechanic.
- Inventory the supplied airframe, engine and propeller records.
- Note the aircraft or component identity, earliest entry and latest entry in each volume.
- List missing volumes, unexplained date gaps and supporting documents referenced but not supplied.
Official references: FAA AC 43-9D: maintenance records. Sources checked .
Prepare questions instead of self-certifying entries
The following are prompts for the reviewer, not a determination that an entry is valid or invalid.
| Record detail | Question for the mechanic |
|---|---|
| Time entries | Can the recorded times be reconciled across the supplied documents? |
| Repair references | Are referenced forms, work orders and supporting records available? |
| Component replacement | Which engine, propeller and relevant parts are installed now? |
| Inspection and AD entries | What evidence supports the recorded action, and what remains due or unknown? |
Compare documents with physical evidence
Arrange the review so the mechanic can follow up on discrepancies during inspection. A text entry alone does not resolve a mismatch between paperwork and the installed equipment. Keep copies of the documents reviewed and distinguish an unanswered question from a confirmed defect.
Connect public events carefully
Where a public event is linked to the correct airframe, ask which maintenance documents address the subsequent repair and inspection. A missing public event match does not validate the logbooks or rule out undocumented damage. Keep the event search coverage and the logbook review conclusions separately attributed.
Check the public records first
How Aerovidence handles evidence · Sources and coverage limits
Continue your research
Aircraft prebuy records checklist
Organize aircraft identity, public events, maintenance logs, AD evidence and title questions before a pre-purchase inspection.
Aircraft AD search: applicability is not compliance
Search FAA airworthiness directives using airframe, engine, propeller and equipment details, and separate possible applicability from compliance evidence.
How to check aircraft accident and incident history
Research NTSB aircraft accident records by registration and identity, distinguish report stages, and keep missing records separate from a clean history.