Records Review – 12/12/2020
A rock star’s Challenger601 was damaged in a windstorm event. It was determined the best method of repair would be to use parts from a donor aircraft. The donor aircraft behind me was 29 years old in Dec 2020. We knew we wanted the wing but didn’t know what other parts may be needed. Therefore, this records review consisted of auditing 29 years of records to search for any damage or repairs.
Reviewing box after box, year after year, book after book of records was tedious but interesting. It was like reading a multi-volume novel. This donor aircraft had only 3 directors of maintenance – one for nearly half of its life. Its history lacked drama. For years it was operated by individuals in low utilization and maintained with care. Its inspections contained very few findings over the years but it consumed tires like a Formula 1 car. And then one day in its 27th year, the final owner parked it, never to fly again. Maintenance continued for the purpose of preserving airworthiness and then after nine months, that stopped too.
