Aircraft Annual Inspection Requirements: What Every Pilot Needs to Know

Complete guide to aircraft annual inspection requirements under §91.409. Covers who can perform an annual, 100-hour inspections, owner preventive maintenance, airworthiness directives, and required logbook entries.

April 2026·8 min read read·Faraim Editorial

KEY POINT

Every private aircraft must have an annual inspection to remain airworthy. Understanding what's required, who can perform it, and what gets checked protects both your aircraft and your pilot certificate.

Under 14 CFR §91.409, no person may operate an aircraft unless it has had an inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months and been approved for return to service. This 'annual inspection' is one of the most fundamental airworthiness requirements in Part 91 — and understanding it is part of every pilot's responsibility.

Who Can Perform an Annual Inspection?

An annual inspection must be performed by either:

An FAA-certificated A&P mechanic holding an Inspection Authorization (IA)
The aircraft's manufacturer, or
A certificated repair station appropriately rated for that aircraft

A standard A&P mechanic without an IA cannot perform an annual inspection. They can perform maintenance and repairs, but the annual must be signed off by an IA. This is a common point of confusion among aircraft owners.

What Does an Annual Inspection Cover?

The FAA defines the scope of an annual inspection in Part 43, Appendix D. The inspector must check (among other things):

Fuselage and hull — structure, skin, doors, windows, seats, seatbelts
Cabin and cockpit — instruments, switches, circuit breakers, lighting
Engine — compression check, ignition, carburetor/fuel injection, exhaust, oil system
Propeller — nicks, cracks, hub, pitch change mechanism (for CSP)
Landing gear — wheels, brakes, tires, struts, retraction system (if applicable)
Wings and control surfaces — structure, hinges, control cables, flaps, ailerons
Electrical system — wiring, battery, alternator
Avionics — operation of radios and navigation equipment
Compliance with all applicable Airworthiness Directives (ADs)

100-Hour Inspection: Who Needs It?

Aircraft used for hire — carrying passengers for compensation or flight training for compensation — must have a 100-hour inspection in addition to the annual. Under §91.409(b), the 100-hour inspection is required every 100 hours of service time. The 100-hour inspection covers the same scope as an annual but can be performed by any A&P mechanic (no IA required).

If a 100-hour inspection is due and the aircraft has exceeded the 100-hour limit by not more than 10 hours to fly to a maintenance facility, this is permitted — but the excess time is subtracted from the next 100-hour interval.

Airworthiness Directives (ADs)

Airworthiness Directives are legally mandatory regulations issued by the FAA when an unsafe condition is found in an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance. ADs must be complied with in the timeframe specified. Recurring ADs require compliance at specified intervals (hours, calendar months, or cycles). Non-recurring ADs are one-time fixes.

You are responsible for knowing which ADs apply to your aircraft. The FAA AD database (available at ad.easa.europa.eu for US ADs or via the FAA's Ad database) lists all applicable ADs by aircraft type. Non-compliance with an AD makes the aircraft unairworthy — period.

Owner-Performed Preventive Maintenance

Under Part 43, Appendix A, aircraft owners who hold at least a private pilot certificate may perform certain preventive maintenance tasks on aircraft they own or operate. These include:

Changing engine oil and filter
Replacing tires and tubes
Replacing defective safety wiring
Replacing landing light bulbs
Cleaning and re-gapping spark plugs
Replacing seats and seat components
Lubricating non-sealed landing gear bearings

Owners must make a logbook entry for any preventive maintenance performed, including the date, nature of work, and the regulations under which the work was performed (Part 43 Appendix A).

Required Logbook Entries

After an annual inspection, the IA must make an entry in the aircraft and engine logbooks that includes the date, total hours, type of inspection, and either a return-to-service statement or a list of defects found. If defects are found and the aircraft is not approved for return to service, the IA notes the defects and the aircraft cannot legally fly until they are corrected and the aircraft re-approved.

As PIC, you are responsible for knowing that the aircraft is airworthy before flight. This includes verifying the annual is current, all ADs are complied with, and all required inspections (ELT — every 12 months, VOR — every 30 days for IFR, altimeter — every 24 months for IFR) are current. The AVIATE checklist can help: Airworthiness, VOR, Inspections (annual/100hr), ADs, Transponder/altimeter/ELT.