An annual-inspection supply list must be built for the specific aircraft, engine, propeller, installed equipment, maintenance history, and inspecting mechanic’s plan. There is no universal kit that is correct for every Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft, experimental aircraft, or field-modified installation. Use this checklist to organize the job with the appropriately authorized mechanic or repair station—not to decide maintenance or approve an aircraft for return to service.
Annual inspection planning checklist
- Schedule the inspection and agree on owner involvement before ordering parts.
- Gather airframe, engine, propeller, and appliance records.
- Review open discrepancies, deferred items, recurring inspections, and applicable airworthiness directives with the inspecting professional.
- Confirm exact engine, filter adapter, spark-plug, tire, tube, brake, battery, and consumable part numbers from current approved or acceptable data.
- Order only the routine supplies the mechanic expects to use.
- Keep uncertain parts unopened and returnable until applicability is confirmed.
- Record every installed part number, serial number when applicable, quantity, and supporting document.
What the regulation requires
For aircraft subject to the annual requirement, 14 CFR 91.409 generally requires an annual inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months unless a listed alternative applies. The scope and detail for an annual or 100-hour inspection are described in Appendix D to Part 43.
Those rules do not turn a shopping list into maintenance authority. Who may perform maintenance and who may approve an aircraft for return to service are separate questions governed by Part 43 and the circumstances of the aircraft and work. Coordinate the plan with the person who will perform and sign the inspection.
Records and reference material to assemble first
- Airframe, engine, propeller, and appliance logbooks
- Current aircraft and engine maintenance manuals
- Instructions for continued airworthiness for installed equipment
- Current weight-and-balance and equipment list
- Airworthiness-directive research and compliance records
- Supplemental type certificate and field-approval documents
- Recurring inspection and life-limit tracking
- A written discrepancy or “squawk” list from the owner and pilot
Do not rely on another aircraft’s year/model alone. Two apparently similar airplanes can use different filters, adapters, brakes, batteries, plugs, or hardware because of serial-number breaks and later modifications.
Routine consumables to discuss with the mechanic
| Category | Confirm before ordering |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | Engine manufacturer’s current specification, viscosity guidance, operating season, break-in status, and any approved additive requirements |
| Oil filter or screen supplies | Exact engine and adapter application, filter part number, gasket or seal requirements, and inspection/cutting plan |
| Spark-plug service items | Approved plug model, quantity, condition criteria, gaskets, cleaning/testing procedure, and replacement decision |
| Air and fuel filtration | Aircraft serial number, installed housing, element part number, and replacement interval |
| Lubricants and compounds | Specified product for each lubrication point; do not substitute a general-purpose grease |
| Safetying supplies | Specified wire or locking method, material, diameter, cotter-pin sizes, and approved technique |
| Cleaning materials | Compatibility with aluminum, composites, windows, finishes, wiring, engines, and brakes |
Oil-filter selection: verify the installation, not just the airplane
An oil-filter page or marketplace listing is not approved applicability data. For example, the Champion CH48110-1 application guide explains why an engine model, filter adapter, airframe serial number, and modification history can all matter. Champion’s current AV-14 aviation catalog should be checked alongside the aircraft and engine manufacturer’s current data.
Tools and shop supplies
Ask which tools the mechanic supplies and which owner-provided items are welcome. Common planning categories include drip pans, labeled bags, protective caps and plugs, approved cleaners, lint-free wipes, flashlights, inspection mirrors, borescope accessories, torque-tool documentation, filter-cutting equipment, sample bottles for oil analysis, and containers for quarantining removed parts.
Special tools, calibrated instruments, and measurement equipment should not be replaced with consumer approximations. The person making the airworthiness determination must control the data, equipment, and acceptance criteria used.
What not to buy preemptively
- A full set of spark plugs when cleaning, testing, and rotation may be the correct outcome
- Model-specific gaskets or hoses selected only from an online “fits” list
- Brake, tire, tube, battery, or filter parts without confirming the installed configuration
- Unapproved hardware or automotive substitutes
- Large quantities of shelf-life-controlled materials without checking dates and storage requirements
- Expensive corrective parts before the inspection identifies the actual discrepancy
Owner-assisted inspection boundaries
An owner may be able to help with access, cleaning, organization, or tasks performed under appropriate supervision, depending on the aircraft and the supervising person’s plan. Separately, Appendix A to Part 43 lists preventive-maintenance tasks, and 14 CFR 43.3 addresses who may perform maintenance. Do not assume that being allowed to help means being authorized to inspect, diagnose, sign, or approve the work.
Two weeks before the appointment
- Confirm the schedule, location, aircraft access, and expected downtime.
- Send the mechanic the aircraft details and discrepancy list.
- Verify which consumables and routine replacement items to order.
- Check shipping dates, shelf life, return terms, and documentation.
- Prepare logbooks and supporting records without removing or altering entries.
- Arrange transportation in case the aircraft remains down for corrective work.
During and after the inspection
Separate removed parts, new parts, and rejected parts. Photograph labels when useful, retain invoices and traceability documents, and record exact installed part numbers. Ask the inspecting professional to explain discrepancies and distinguish airworthiness items from optional improvements. Before flight, confirm that required records, approvals, cowling, panels, tools, loose items, and operational checks have been handled by the responsible people.
Information and regulatory links reviewed August 2, 2026. This planning guide is not maintenance data, a parts-eligibility determination, or authorization to perform or approve work.