Before relying on an annual inspection entry, confirm who signed it and whether that person had the authority to perform the inspection at the time. A genuine mechanic certificate number can belong to someone other than the person using it.
That was a central finding in the National Transportation Safety Board's final report CEN24LA286. The NTSB, the US transport accident investigator, found that an unqualified individual signed annual inspections using his deceased father's certificate number.
What happened near Radisson
On July 28, 2024, a Piper PA-46-310P lost all engine power near Radisson, Wisconsin. The pilot was uninjured after a forced landing, but the airplane sustained substantial damage.
The NTSB found that a cap was missing from a fuel pressure test port. Maintenance associated with an annual inspection about six weeks earlier included replacement of fuel injectors, which required a fuel system test. The cap then needed to be tightened and torqued. The report identifies the non-certificated mechanic's failure to do so as the probable cause of the power loss.
The person who performed the recent annual inspections held neither a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings nor an inspection authorization. He used the certificate number of his father, who had died in June 2007. The NTSB describes that representation as fraudulent. This is an accident-investigation finding, not a criminal judgment against a person named in this article.
The lesson is specific: a certificate number can be real while the identity behind the signature is wrong. A records check also cannot replace the inspection and maintenance that must actually be performed.
What the mechanic needs
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US aviation regulator, issues mechanic certificates. An A&P mechanic holds one with both airframe and powerplant ratings. An inspection authorization (IA) gives its holder additional inspection privileges, including performing annual inspections under 14 CFR 65.95.
For a conventional Part 91 annual performed by an individual mechanic, the A&P certificate alone is insufficient; the mechanic needs the applicable IA. Appropriately rated repair stations have a separate route. Manufacturers also have specified inspection and approval privileges under 14 CFR 43.3(j) and 43.7(d). Do not apply an individual IA check as though it were the certificate of every organization.
A mechanic certificate generally remains effective until surrendered, suspended or revoked under 14 CFR 65.15. Exercising its privileges also depends on 14 CFR 65.83. Within the preceding 24 months, either the FAA Administrator must have found the mechanic able to do the work, or the mechanic must have completed at least six months of the qualifying work or supervision described in paragraph (b). Six months of activity is therefore not the only route.
The IA has its own conditions. Section 65.92 sets expiration on March 31 of odd-numbered years, and the authorization can cease to be effective earlier. Section 65.93 requires qualifying activity during each year of the renewal cycle, subject to its stated exceptions. A holder who misses the first-year activity requirement cannot simply continue until the printed expiration date; paragraph (c) describes the oral-test route to resume privileges.
How an owner can check
Start with the logbook entry. 14 CFR 43.11 specifies the inspection record, including the type and extent of inspection, date, aircraft total time, signature and certificate details, plus the appropriate approval or disapproval statement. This gives you the person, date and work to verify.
Then make three connected checks:
- Match the person to the certificate. Ask to see the certificate and suitable identification. Compare the name with the entry and the FAA's public airman information. The FAA explicitly states that certificate numbers are not displayed publicly. Search for the person through its Airmen Inquiry service; do not expect a public search by certificate number.
- Check the inspection authority for the relevant date. Section 65.95(b) requires an IA holder to keep the authorization available for the aircraft owner's inspection while exercising its privileges. For an older entry, present-day status does not establish historical authority. Ask for the relevant evidence and seek FAA confirmation when needed.
- Resolve a mismatch before relying on the entry. A missing copy can first be requested from the mechanic or shop. If identity or authority remains inconsistent, preserve the entry and supporting correspondence, and ask the responsible FAA Flight Standards office for help. Do not label an unresolved entry fraudulent merely because a document is missing.
For a buyer reviewing older records, use these checks where an entry is needed to establish the aircraft's status or where a discrepancy raises doubt. An unexplained entry needs an assessment of what it affects; it does not automatically invalidate every other record.
A digital fingerprint, a value calculated from a file, can help detect changes to a saved file, but it cannot establish who physically performed an inspection or supply a missing IA privilege. Keep the identity and authority checks with the record. The pre-purchase records guide shows how that evidence fits into a broader review.
Frequently asked questions
Can I verify a mechanic by entering the certificate number in the public FAA search?
The FAA says it does not publish certificate numbers. Search for the person, compare the public information with the certificate presented and obtain official confirmation if identity or authority remains unclear.
Is six months of work in the last 24 months the only recent-experience route?
No. Section 65.83 also permits exercising privileges when, within the preceding 24 months, the FAA Administrator has found the mechanic able to do the work. Paragraph (b) describes the alternative qualifying activity route.
Does a current IA prove an older annual was valid?
No. Check the authority held on the date of the inspection, the identity of the signer and the actual inspection record. Current status alone does not settle historical authority.
Does an unverified entry prove fraud?
No. It identifies a check that remains unresolved. In the Radisson case, the NTSB made specific findings about a non-certificated person using his deceased father's number; that finding cannot be generalized to every missing record.