by Pete Schoeninger
Email your questions to Pete@Flymilwaukee.com
Q: My nine-year-old airplane suffered a major repair after a hangar collapsed on it. Will this affect its value?
A: Yes. I recently sold a 10-year-old, low-time Cessna 182, which had the misfortune of being “smacked” twice. Repairs were professionally done and well documented by two good shops. Nonetheless, the airplane sold for $15-$20,000 below what it would have brought had it been accident free. The buyer got an airplane, which will perform identically to its non-damaged brothers, but will be worth less when the buyer goes to sell it. So in some cases, buying a relatively new airplane with damage history can be financially advantageous, but as always, be sure to get it thoroughly checked by a good shop/mechanic before purchase. It was interesting to note that 28 people inquired about the airplane and declined to even come look at it after learning of double damage, but the first person to look at it (the 29th inquirer) bought it on the spot after a very short inspection. Also note that as an airplane ages, damage history is less of a detriment.
