U
Unregistered
Guest
A couple months back I bounced a landing in gusty conditions, really hard, in my 172. Hard enough that I was worried I had damaged the airplane, but I pulled the cowl and looked carefully, couldn't find any wrinkles in the firewall or gear legs or wingskin, and the prop didn't make contact so I chalked it up as good landing gear that absorbed the shock. No phone calls, no paperwork (uncontrolled field).
Last week the airplane went in for annual and I told the mechanic about the hard landing and asked him to check everything that could have been affected. He called back today and said the main gear is bent and there is some wrinkling on the belly skin (I didn't think to look at the belly skin), but no other structural damage. He estimated 20k in repair costs, including all labor and paint since there will be some reskinning involved.
I'm named insured on the airplane, and all my paperwork is in order, so there shouldn't be a problem there - but since a report was never made at the time, we only found the damage now during annual, what's the best way to go about this? FAA/NTSB report after the fact and insurance claim? The repair cost is nowhere near to totaling the airframe, it is a 2001 model with high-end panel and mid-time 180hp engine.
Last week the airplane went in for annual and I told the mechanic about the hard landing and asked him to check everything that could have been affected. He called back today and said the main gear is bent and there is some wrinkling on the belly skin (I didn't think to look at the belly skin), but no other structural damage. He estimated 20k in repair costs, including all labor and paint since there will be some reskinning involved.
I'm named insured on the airplane, and all my paperwork is in order, so there shouldn't be a problem there - but since a report was never made at the time, we only found the damage now during annual, what's the best way to go about this? FAA/NTSB report after the fact and insurance claim? The repair cost is nowhere near to totaling the airframe, it is a 2001 model with high-end panel and mid-time 180hp engine.