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tracking N-number changes

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K. Ari Krupnikov

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Aug 14, 2005, 2:53:15 AM8/14/05
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Using an aircraft's registration number, one can look up on NTSB if it
has been involved in accidents. Is it possible to find out if an
aircraft has ever had its registration number changed, to make use it
hasn't been involved in an accident under a different registration?

I'm looking to buy a Texas Taildragger and want to be sure it hasn't
been groundlooped.

Ari.

--
Elections only count as free and trials as fair if you can lose money
betting on the outcome.

BTIZ

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Aug 14, 2005, 12:28:07 PM8/14/05
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best way I can think of would be to look at the aircraft maintenance logs,
granted repairs could be made and not entered.. and unscrupulous thing but
it happens.

also, a title search company may also get all of the accident reports or
form 337s filed on that aircraft. They should also be able to track N#
changes, as well as reporting a clean title.

AOPA offers this service to it's members.

BT

"K. Ari Krupnikov" <a...@lib.aero> wrote in message
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Jim Burns

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Aug 14, 2005, 6:27:41 PM8/14/05
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What about the FAA CD of all the official documents?
I think that's what AOPA relies on for the most part.
Jim

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Juan Jimenez

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Aug 14, 2005, 8:58:49 PM8/14/05
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Forgot to post the URL: http://162.58.35.241/acdatabase/serial_inquiry.asp

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Juan Jimenez

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Aug 14, 2005, 8:58:34 PM8/14/05
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Yes, search by serial #.


"K. Ari Krupnikov" <a...@lib.aero> wrote in message
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K. Ari Krupnikov

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Aug 15, 2005, 1:57:27 AM8/15/05
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"Juan Jimenez" <fly...@prtc.net> writes:

> http://162.58.35.241/acdatabase/serial_inquiry.asp

Thanks.

The plane I was interested in shows up with 1 N number. Do I
understand correctly that aircraft which have had their N number
changed would appear in that table more than once?

K. Ari Krupnikov

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Aug 15, 2005, 2:02:33 AM8/15/05
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"BTIZ" <btizn...@cox.nospm.net> writes:

> best way I can think of would be to look at the aircraft maintenance logs,
> granted repairs could be made and not entered.. and unscrupulous thing but
> it happens.

Of course. But you can look up an N number on NTSB before you ever get
to meet the owner - saves time. Of course if an accident was never
reported, NTSB won't have it either.

> also, a title search company may also get all of the accident reports or
> form 337s filed on that aircraft. They should also be able to track N#
> changes, as well as reporting a clean title.
>
> AOPA offers this service to it's members.

I'm a member, and I've been thinking about using that service. I'm
not entirely sure what they do that a mortal can't. Do they have
access to some government databases that are not available to the
public?

Also, do you know how long it takes for them to do their search?

xyzzy

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Aug 15, 2005, 11:35:33 AM8/15/05
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K. Ari Krupnikov wrote:

> "BTIZ" <btizn...@cox.nospm.net> writes:
>
>
>>best way I can think of would be to look at the aircraft maintenance logs,
>>granted repairs could be made and not entered.. and unscrupulous thing but
>>it happens.
>
>
> Of course. But you can look up an N number on NTSB before you ever get
> to meet the owner - saves time. Of course if an accident was never
> reported, NTSB won't have it either.

You don't even have to do that. Just google the N-number. That will
turn up NTSB reports, SDR reports, and sometimes unofficial information
that seller didn't even know about or didn't know you could find (like
the last owner's webpage where he describes the time it ate a valve, etc).


Victor J. Osborne, Jr.

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Aug 15, 2005, 9:52:55 PM8/15/05
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Mine had an N# change after a gear up and it did NOT show up. I have the
logs as others have stated and they show the N# change.

--

Thx, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.


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BTIZ

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Aug 16, 2005, 12:34:37 AM8/16/05
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for a fee.. they insure the title search.. so if there is a lien that is not
found in their report, and someone claims your airplane.. they "insured the
title".. about a week.

When I had them do a simple search, they found a lien against an aircraft
that although paid and cleared by the bank, the papers were not properly
filed with OKC, so the lein still existed. The airplane had gone through 3
different owners with the original lien still recorded against the aircraft
and not cleared.

BT

OtisWinslow

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Aug 19, 2005, 8:35:51 AM8/19/05
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I've used the AOPA service several times. And found things that
caused me to walk away from the deal on occasion. They can get the info
together for you fairly quickly and I think it's important that all this
stuff be looked at before buying a plane.


"K. Ari Krupnikov" <a...@lib.aero> wrote in message

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