Definition
An appendix to Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 43, that lists the specific items a mechanic must inspect when performing an annual or 100-hour inspection on an aircraft. It defines the minimum scope of these inspections, including required checks of the fuselage, cabin, engine, landing gear, wings, control systems, propeller, radio, and powerplant.
Plain English
A government checklist that tells mechanics exactly what they have to look at when doing a yearly or 100-hour inspection on an airplane.
Context Anchor
Pilots usually encounter Part 43 Appendix D when reading about annual inspections, 100-hour inspections, aircraft airworthiness, or maintenance records.
Derivation
‘Part 43’ refers to the section of federal aviation regulations that covers maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alteration. ‘Appendix D’ is simply the fourth lettered attachment to that part. Knowing this helps locate it: it lives in the maintenance regulations, not the flight rules.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rely on this appendix because it defines the inspection standards that keep an aircraft legally airworthy and safe to fly.
Intuition Check
Do not read Part 43 Appendix D as just a page reference or a casual checklist. In this context, it is a specific federal rule section that sets the required minimum inspection coverage.
Example Sentence 1
The mechanic completed the annual inspection in accordance with Part 43 Appendix D and signed the logbook.
Example Sentence 2
Compliance with Part 43 Appendix D must be documented to maintain the aircraft's airworthiness certificate.