A loose ground strap on a Cessna 172 almost cost us a radio

I was doing a routine inspection on a 172 at our field in Daytona Beach last month and found a ground strap for the comm radio hanging by one screw. The other screw had vibrated out completely. If that strap had come off in flight, we could have lost the radio and had a real problem. I replaced both screws with fresh ones and torqued them to spec, then checked every other strap on the plane. How often do you guys add a ground strap check to your pre-inspection walk-around?

3 comments

3 Comments

nelson.wesley24d ago

Check them every time you wash the plane.

sean_johnson1623d ago

Washing the plane isn't the only time you should check them.

alice_kim20d ago

My buddy Jake found a crack in his Cessna's wing last Tuesday just doing a normal preflight. He never would have seen it if he only looked during washes.