New and Don’t know what to do.

I wonder if somewhere along the line a sale went south and the seller withheld the airworthiness certificate but the buyer just decided to fly it and pass the paperwork problem along. From a few searches this plane was issued the AWC on "1962-05-21" so its pretty funny that Cessna can't dig up that same number.

More likely, it just got lost. Many owners have no clue where the required paperwork is for their airplane. Pretty much every ferry job I’ve been part of had screwed up or missing paperwork that wouldn’t have been corrected had I not insisted it be right before I came to get the plane.
 
Use the N number on the place, and look it up here: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/

You can also request a history of the plane on CD, which I highly recommend. The FAA will send you a copy of all the documentation they have on the plane on that CD. Well worth having, and only $10. You'll get it in a few days.
 
Wow!

Agree with @Sinistar above. I'm trying to imaging the moment when an A&P is doing an annual, and says to him/her self: "I don't see an airworthiness certificate anywhere... but hey everything else looks fine, so I'll just make a note of that in the logbook and sign this puppy off!" Whaa?

Then I try to imagine the last three owners (??) saying to themselves: "I don't see an airworthiness certificate anywhere, but hey, everything else looks fine, so I'll buy it and fly it anyway!" How does that happen? "AROW" is like Chapter 2 of ground school...

But there must be some way of re-issuing one; after all, aircraft get rebuilt after accidents and such. No idea how that works, though... Best of luck!



So I have contacted previous owners. At least the last three and they didn’t say they can’t remember not having one they said all the paperwork went with the plane when sold. Also I asked if any of them remembered if they hung it anywhere or glued to dash or anything like. They all said no except one said he remembered he had a piece of paper in a weird pocket by pilot side seat. But couldn’t tell me if tha was it. Again the FAA and Cessna both have said they have no record of it. FAA rep said that every time a plane is sold they usually have a copy. For most planes they said they have multiple copies. They have none. I have ordered a blue ribbon package from them to see what records in fact they do have. Cessna has already sent me theirs and it isnt in it. The sent all microfiche. I’m just saying I can’t find anyone that has seen or remember seeing it. I know I’m new and everyone I tell this to has a hard time swallowing it, but the fact is I don’t have a airworthiness certificate and I can’t find a record of one ever having existed. Even called a dealer that sold it in 1995 and their records didn’t have a copy. I’m almost positive Cessna is going to issue one this week. The lawyer with them has been extremely helpful and to this point has been communicating consistently.
 
Registration.

Yes the FSDO was not going to issue due to registration which I have now sent in, but I already registered it under different tail # because I didn’t think I could keep same one. So now I have an application for the old tail number sent in to Oklahoma and a application to register me as the owner with a notorized bill of sale.
 
Use the N number on the place, and look it up here: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/

You can also request a history of the plane on CD, which I highly recommend. The FAA will send you a copy of all the documentation they have on the plane on that CD. Well worth having, and only $10. You'll get it in a few days.


I did that. It’s called a blue ribbon package and am excited to see what they have. Thanks for the advice. The guys at the FSDO recommended I do it. They were very helpful especiallly the day before they fourth and late in the afternoon.
 
I’m not sure how it couldn’t have one...

Any airplane that rolls off the assembly line will get an airworthiness certificate. Seems odd.


And every plane that rolls off has a delivery folder. And it is in every other delivery folder but not in this one for some reason. I’m not saying one was never issues but Cessna doesn’t have a record ad no one else seems to either. I’m new and maybe I’m just talking to the wrong people, but I’ve been talking to managers at multiple FSDO’s. Charlotte, Little Rock, Memphis and salt lake. I’ve been talking to a lawyer whose been with Cessna for 22 years and he is stumped a bit too. I’m hoping Monday I can call him and just get him to issue me one. I do not know what they are or how hard they are to issue but my thought process is if they have no record of issuing one and it was their job to issue one he might be willing.
 
Looks like its: N1653Y (1963 172C). Do you have a serial number for it? Maybe if share some more information a fellow POA'er will find you something useful.
 

Attachments

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Here's the same thing in PDF format.
 

Attachments

  • FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry N1653Y.pdf
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So how is it three owners of an aircraft bought it, accepted it, and flew it (and apparently sold it!) without having in their possession one of the REQUIRED documents (AW cert.) in the aircraft? The last owner, maybe. But three previous owners? Are they all that clueless? Or was there a lot of winking and nodding going on? I don't get it.

It would seem it should be relatively easy to obtain a duplicate A/W certificate for an aircraft with a known S/N, but then again maybe not. I'm incredulous that an airplane left the factory and was sold the FIRST time without a valid certificate. Seems more likely the certificate got lost somewhere in the ownership chain. I wonder if the N number change fouled up the necessary records to ameliorate the problem? Is there the required data plate on the plane?
 
And every plane that rolls off has a delivery folder. And it is in every other delivery folder but not in this one for some reason. I’m not saying one was never issues but Cessna doesn’t have a record ad no one else seems to either. I’m new and maybe I’m just talking to the wrong people, but I’ve been talking to managers at multiple FSDO’s. Charlotte, Little Rock, Memphis and salt lake. I’ve been talking to a lawyer whose been with Cessna for 22 years and he is stumped a bit too. I’m hoping Monday I can call him and just get him to issue me one. I do not know what they are or how hard they are to issue but my thought process is if they have no record of issuing one and it was their job to issue one he might be willing.

Why so many FSDOs? You are just muddying the waters. And don’t speak to the manager, speak to an airworthiness inspector. At most you should be talking to two FSDOs. The one for your area (Greensboro) and the one where the plane is located (Little Rock). Little Rock appears to be the only one you got right. Charlotte was any easy mistake and can help instead of Greensboro but Greensboro appears to cover Laurinburg where you stated you live. I have no idea why you are talking to Memphis or Salt Lake. Do you? You are just wasting your time and that of others by the way you have approached this. And the FAA frowns on “FSDO shoppers.”

And the lawyer at Cessna that you mentioned, he cannot issue an airworthiness certificate. Not sure how he or you thinks he can.

You really need someone to help you who knows the system well. Is there an IA near your home airport that you know and trust? And I mean a professional IA who knows the system, not a shade-tree-working-out-of-car-trunk type. DIY is for people who know the system and definitely not for someone who says he doesn’t even know what an airworthiness certificate is.

Good luck.
 
My guess, and it’s only a guess, is he is talking to the FSDO’s in locations where the airplane has been previously owned looking for the A/W cert.
 
Hopefully this isn't an airplane that was, at one time, an insurance write-off (reported stolen, wrecked, etc.) and has been flying since "under the radar".
 
... Is there an IA near your home airport that you know and trust? And I mean a professional IA who knows the system, not a shade-tree-working-out-of-car-trunk type....
I'm wondering if he knows what an "IA" is. We have a tendency to use industry-specific abbreviations and acronyms that newcomers to aviation may not be familiar with.
 
Wow. A very steep learning curve.
 
I’m really surprised that all of the previous owners would willingly admit to multiple violations of Part 91.203 by saying it never had an airworthiness certificate while they owned and flew it. If this is true, every time someone flew the plane, they violated the regulation. I find this very difficult to believe.
 
Well she is home. I’m going to have a mechanic take a look over her here. An IA. Do some washing and scrubbing. And start having fun airworthiness certificate in hand and all is good. Thanks for the help guys.
 
So I have contacted previous owners. At least the last three and they didn’t say they can’t remember not having one they said all the paperwork went with the plane when sold. Also I asked if any of them remembered if they hung it anywhere or glued to dash or anything like. They all said no except one said he remembered he had a piece of paper in a weird pocket by pilot side seat. But couldn’t tell me if tha was it. Again the FAA and Cessna both have said they have no record of it. FAA rep said that every time a plane is sold they usually have a copy. For most planes they said they have multiple copies. They have none. I have ordered a blue ribbon package from them to see what records in fact they do have. Cessna has already sent me theirs and it isnt in it. The sent all microfiche. I’m just saying I can’t find anyone that has seen or remember seeing it. I know I’m new and everyone I tell this to has a hard time swallowing it, but the fact is I don’t have a airworthiness certificate and I can’t find a record of one ever having existed. Even called a dealer that sold it in 1995 and their records didn’t have a copy. I’m almost positive Cessna is going to issue one this week. The lawyer with them has been extremely helpful and to this point has been communicating consistently.
Not sure about the 172, but side pockets in our 182 run deep and almost to the pedals forward. The Cert you are looking for is a bit bit bigger then a index card right? Could easily be really jammed down there. I lose the gust lock down there sometimes!!
 
Well she is home. I’m going to have a mechanic take a look over her here. An IA. Do some washing and scrubbing. And start having fun airworthiness certificate in hand and all is good. Thanks for the help guys.

Awesome! Have fun!
 
Madison 890, sounds like you trust your mechanic. if he signs it off as airworthy go out and fly the heck out of it. when things break(and they will) just get them fix and fly on. good luck getting your PPL
 
airworthiness certificate in hand and all is good.
Well don't leave us hanging, what was the rest of the story behind the AWC that was "never issued"? Did you find it in the plane? Did Cessna find it in their records?

Glad you got it sorted out whatever it was and made it home safe!
 
Well don't leave us hanging, what was the rest of the story behind the AWC that was "never issued"? Did you find it in the plane? Did Cessna find it in their records?

Glad you got it sorted out whatever it was and made it home safe!


Yes Mr flesher had Cessna send one out to me. Sent it registered mail yesterday. Not a terrible experience but I learned so much and had intelligent and patient people with me. I sure do have a lot more to learn. Gonna fly her over to a grass strip Friday to do whatever is needed. Hopefully by next week I’ll have time I can log with my CFI. Still a lot of cleaning needed. But everyone that looked at the engine has said nothing but good things about how reliable they are and how good the compressions were. A couple mentioned it needs a little more horsepower but I’ll get that down the road. I’ll learn more Friday and post as well. Again thanks guys and I’ll post a soon as something that happens

Also any recommendation for a cleaning interior/exterior of Plane would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again guys
 
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