Airframe Inspection Oral Exam Questions and Answers
These airframe inspection oral exam questions and answers cover AM.II.D. For O&P practice, connect the inspection requirement, the area being examined, and the finding that needs further investigation.
On this page
What should my answer explain?
Our study tip: name the rule or event that calls for the inspection, say which areas you inspect and what you look for, and say what you do when you find damage. For actual work, use the applicable inspection program and aircraft instructions.
FAA-S-ACS-1, printed 25, PDF 30 · AM.II.D: Airframe Inspection
Which ACS elements do these questions practice?
The table maps each study prompt to its knowledge element. It is not a prediction of assigned test questions.
| ACS element | Study focus |
|---|---|
| AM.II.D.K8 | CFRs applicable to inspection and airworthiness. |
| AM.II.D.K1 | Inspection requirements under 14 CFR part 91. |
| AM.II.D.K3 | Requirements for complying with ADs. |
| AM.II.D.K4 | Identification of life-limited parts and their replacement interval. |
| AM.II.D.K5 | Special inspections. |
Which oral exam questions can I practice?
These practice questions are built from ACS elements; they are not actual FAA test questions.
1. What must an annual or 100-hour inspection checklist include?
ACS: AM.II.D.K8
You must use a checklist while performing the inspection. The checklist must include the scope and detail of Part 43 Appendix D and the rotorcraft items in §43.15(b). The checklist may be your own design, the manufacturer’s, or one from another source.
2. What preparation is required before an annual or 100-hour inspection?
ACS: AM.II.D.K8
Remove or open all necessary inspection plates, access doors, fairings, and cowling. Thoroughly clean the aircraft and engine before the inspection.
3. What conditions must you look for in the wing and center-section assembly?
ACS: AM.II.D.K8
Where applicable, inspect all components of the wing and center section assembly for poor general condition, fabric or skin deterioration, distortion, evidence of failure, and insecure attachment.
4. Which rotorcraft systems have additional Part 91 inspection requirements under §43.15(b)?
ACS: AM.II.D.K8
Inspect the drive shafts or similar systems, main rotor transmission gearbox for obvious defects, main rotor and center section or equivalent area, and the helicopter’s auxiliary rotor. Use the manufacturer’s maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness.
5. How do routine and detailed progressive inspections differ?
ACS: AM.II.D.K1
Routine inspections consist of visual examination or check of the appliances, the aircraft, and its components and systems, insofar as practicable without disassembly. Detailed inspections consist of a thorough examination of the appliances, the aircraft, and its components and systems, with such disassembly as is necessary. A progressive system starts with a complete aircraft inspection, then follows its routine and detailed inspection schedule.
6. What information establishes the recorded status of an applicable AD?
ACS: AM.II.D.K3
The record includes the method of compliance, AD number, and revision date. For an AD with recurring action, it also includes the time and date when the next action is required. The registered owner or operator keeps this record, and it is retained and transferred with the aircraft when the aircraft is sold.
7. What does life status mean for a life-limited part?
ACS: AM.II.D.K4
A life-limited part is any part with a mandatory replacement limit specified in the type design, the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness, or the maintenance manual. Life status means the accumulated cycles, hours, or any other mandatory replacement limit of a life-limited part. When a removed part is later sold or transferred, its required mark, tag, or record must go with it unless the part was mutilated first.
8. Why can a rough landing require inspection even below maximum design landing weight?
ACS: AM.II.D.K5
Landing stress depends on the severity of impact as well as gross weight, and because vertical velocity at contact is hard to estimate, it is hard to judge whether a landing was severe enough to cause structural damage. So a special inspection is performed after a rough landing, even though the aircraft may not have exceeded its design landing weight. Wrinkled wing skin is the most easily detected sign, and fuel leakage along riveted seams is another; if damage is detected, a more extensive inspection and alignment check may be necessary.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, printed 10-14, PDF 390
9. How does a bird-strike inspection expand if external structural damage is found?
ACS: AM.II.D.K5
Inspect the internal structure as well as the external strike area. Also inspect the hydraulic, pneumatic, and other systems in the area of the strike.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, printed 10-16, PDF 392
10. Why can fire-exposed metal need further evaluation even without visible damage?
ACS: AM.II.D.K5
Most structural metal components have been heat-treated during manufacture, so exposure to high heat not encountered in normal operation could severely degrade the design strength of the structure, even with no visible damage. Suspect aluminum structure that passes a visual inspection can be further evaluated with a conductivity tester; because metal strength is related to hardness, possible damage to steel might be determined with a hardness tester.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, printed 10-16, PDF 392
How do I rehearse the answer out loud?
Read the question, put the answer aside, and give a connected explanation. Then compare your answer with the cited FAA page and repeat the prompt. This is our study routine, not an FAA scoring rule.
For actual maintenance, use the applicable manufacturer’s instructions and aircraft-specific data. These short study answers are not complete maintenance procedures.
What else should I know?
Does a routine inspection plus detailed checks of only some components count as a complete inspection under a progressive program?
No. For determining when the annual and 100-hour inspections are due, a complete inspection requires a detailed inspection of the aircraft and all its components in accordance with the progressive inspection.
ACS: AM.II.D.K1 · 14 CFR §91.409
Are floats and skis included in the annual and 100-hour inspection scope?
Yes, where applicable. Appendix D includes checking floats and skis for insecure attachment and obvious or apparent defects.
ACS: AM.II.D.K8 · 14 CFR part 43, Appendix D
Why must water and salt be removed after flood exposure?
Because water acts as an electrolyte that promotes corrosion. Flood damage also depends on water level, fresh versus salt water, and the time before repairs begin.
ACS: AM.II.D.K5 · FAA-H-8083-30B, General, printed 10-16, PDF 392
What visual evidence should you look for after a lightning strike?
Look for degradation, burning, or erosion of composite resin at affected structures, bonding straps, static discharge wicks, and null field dischargers. Burning and more serious damage could occur where high-voltage surges pass through nonmetallic structures, such as a fiberglass radome, an engine cowl or fairing, a glass or plastic window, or a composite structure that does not have built-in electrical bonding.
ACS: AM.II.D.K5 · FAA-H-8083-30B, General, printed 10-16, PDF 392
How can I practice with DMEReady?
DMEReady is an AI voice examiner for the A&P oral in your phone or computer browser. You answer out loud, and it asks follow-up questions the way a DME would. You can also rehearse an oral built from the ACS codes on your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR). After each session, the report shows what you covered, what you missed, what a complete answer includes, and where to read in the FAA handbooks. You can save it as a PDF study sheet and share a result image that never shows your answers or name. The first drill is free, with no sign-up. DMEReady is an AI examiner, not a human DME. It is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA; it does not predict or guarantee results.
Start your free drillWhich guide should I read next?
- Airframe Oral Exam Questions: What a DME Asks
- Non-Metallic Structures Oral Exam Questions and Answers
- Sheet Metal Structures Oral Exam Questions and Answers
Which sources support these answers?
Sources were checked on October 19, 2026. Handbook citations identify the printed and PDF pages; regulatory citations identify the section.
- FAA-S-ACS-1
- FAA-H-8083-30B, General
- 14 CFR §43.15
- 14 CFR part 43, Appendix D
- 14 CFR §91.417
- 14 CFR §43.10
- 14 CFR §91.409
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