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A review determines if the required maintenance and inspections have been performed on the airplane. Any discrepancies must be addressed prior to flight. Once the pilot has determined that the airplane’s logbooks provide factual assurance that the aircraft meets its airworthy requirements, it is appropriate to visually inspect the airplane. The visual preflight inspection of the airplane should begin while approaching the airplane on the ramp. The pilot should make note of the general appearance of the airplane, looking for discrepancies such as misalignment of the landing gear and airplane structure. The pilot should also take note of any distortions of the wings, fuselage, and tail, as well as skin damage and any staining, dripping, or puddles of fuel or oils. 

It must be determined by the pilot that the following documents are, as appropriate, on board, attached, or affixed to the airplane: 

• Original Airworthiness Certificate (14 CFR part 91, section 91.203) 

• Original Registration Certificate (14 CFR part 91, section 91.203) 

• Radio station license for flights outside the United States or airplanes greater than 12,500 pounds (Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule) 

• Operating limitations, which may be in the form of an FAA-approved AFM/POH, placards, instrument markings, or any combination thereof (14 CFR part 91, section 91.9) 

• Official weight and balance 

• Compass deviation card (14 CFR part 23, section 23.1547) 

• External data plate (14 CFR part 45, section 45.11) 

## Visual Preflight Assessment 

The inspection should start with the cabin door. If the door is hard to open or close, does not fit snugly, or the door latches do not engage or disengage smoothly, the surrounding structure, such as the door post, should be inspected for misalignment which could indicate structural damage. The visual preflight inspection should continue to the interior of the cabin or cockpit where carpeting should be inspected to ensure that it is serviceable, dry, and properly affixed; seats belts and shoulder harnesses should be inspected to ensure that they are free from fraying, latch properly, and are securely attached to their mounting fittings; seats should be inspected to ensure that the seats properly latch into the seat rails through the seat lock pins and that seat rail holes are not abnormally worn to an oval shape; [Figure 2-5] the windshield and windows should be inspected to ensure that they are clean and free from cracks, and crazing. A dirty, scratched, and/or a severely crazed window can result in near zero visibility due to light refraction at certain angles from the sun. 

AFM/POH must be the reference for conducting the visual preflight inspection, and each manufacturer has a specified sequence for conducting the actions. In general, the following items are likely to be included in the AFM/POH preflight inspection: 

• Master, alternator, and magneto switches are OFF 

• Control column locks are REMOVED 

• Landing gear control is DOWN 

• Fuel selectors should be checked for proper operation in all positions, including the OFF position. Stiff fuel selectors or where the tank position is not legible or lacking detents are unacceptable. 

• Trim wheels, which include elevator and may include rudder and aileron, are set for takeoff position. 

• Avionics master OFF 

• Circuit breakers checked IN 

• Flight instruments must read correctly. Airspeed zero; altimeter when properly set to the current barometric setting should indicate the field elevation within 75 feet for IFR flight; the magnetic compass should indicate the airplane’s direction accurately; and the compass correction card should be legible and complete. For conventional wet magnetic compasses, the instrument face must be clear and the instrument case full of fluid. A cloudy instrument face, bubbles in the fluid, or a partially filled case renders the compass unusable. The vertical speed indictor (VSI) should read zero. If the VSI does not show a zero reading, a small screwdriver can be used to zero the instrument. 

