That 16 hour shift after the bird strike inspection in Denver

Last Tuesday we got a Cessna 172 towed in with a busted cowling and fan blades after a bird hit near Centennial Airport. The damage looked small but we found cracks in the engine mount that took 4 more hours to chase down. I ended up driving home at 2am with grease under my nails and a half-eaten gas station sandwich. Anyone else have a routine inspection turn into a full teardown and how did you keep your head straight?

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danielowens1d ago

Wait, are you sure this was really a bird strike and not just some bad luck that got blamed on a bird? Ive seen shops call a simple cracked baffle a full engine mount issue to justify billing extra hours, especially when the tow truck comes from Centennial. Cracks in mounts dont just show up out of nowhere after a light bird hit, that sounds like a preexisting fatigue issue someone missed in a prior annual. Also, a 16 hour shift for a 172 job? That tells me your lead either didnt have the parts staged or your crew was dragging their feet on purpose. I aint saying you fabricated anything, but Id double check that inspection report before you trust the story.