TIL why a 30 year A&P told me to walk away from a logbook entry at Van Nuys last week

Sarah Sullivan · 2026-09-25T21:50:05.911006+00:00

I was doing a pre-buy inspection on a 1979 Cessna 172 at Van Nuys and the logbook showed an annual signed off 8 days earlier, but the entry listed a part number that does not exist for that engine model. The owner's mechanic, a guy with 30 years in the trade, told me straight up that he signs what the IA hands him and does not read part numbers. That one line stuck with me because it explained every weird squawk on that plane, including a magneto that was timed 6 degrees off. I walked from the deal and told the buyer to find another shop, and he did. How many of you have run into a sign-and-go logbook culture at a shop you trusted?

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TIL why a 30 year A&P told me to walk away from a logbook entry at Van Nuys last week | Aircraft Mechanics - HW Forums