1972 PIPER CHEROKEE 140 4 PLACE CRUISER AIRFRAME, 5,811 TT, NO ACTUAL DAMAGE, CHEAP!!

THE CHEROKEE 140 IS THE 150 H.P. TRAINING AND TOURING VERSION OF THE CHEROKEE AIRFRAME.

USING THE SAME WING AND FUSELAGE AS THE 180 CHEROKEE, THE 140 DOESN’T HAVE THE 3^RD SMALL SIDE WINDOW AND IT HAS A METAL COWLING, NOT FIBERGLASS, BUT THE OVERALL LAYOUT AND SIZE OF THIS 140 IS OTHERWISE THE SAME AS THE SAME YEAR 180!

AND THE 1972 140/180’S HAVE THE NEW STYLE DASH LAYOUT, WITH A CLEAN 6 PACK INSTRUMENT LAYOUT, QUADRANT THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS, AND NEW STYLE SWITCHES AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER!

PILOT SIDE TOEBRAKES, SHOULDER HARNESSES FOR THE FRONT SEATERS AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR ALL ELECTRICAL ITEMS ARE ALL STANDARD ON THE 1972 140!

THIS AIRPLANE ALSO HAS THE “CRUISER 2+2 “ PACKAGE, WHICH ADDS BUCKET REAR SEATS, A FIBERGLASS BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT EXTENSION AND HAT SHELF AND A REVISED HEATING SYSTEM.

THIS SETUP IS AS PRACTICAL IN REAL WORLD USE AS THE CHEROKE 180’S BENCH REAR SEAT, AS BOTH HAVE LIMITED LEGROOM FOR REAR SEATERS.  THE 140 ACTUALLY ALLOWS FOR MORE FLEXABILITY, AS THE REAR SEAT PADS SIMPLY UNCLIP AND THE BACKRESTS FOLD FLAT, SO THE REAR AREA IS MORE OPEN THAN A 180 WITH IT’S FIXED REAR BENCH SEAT!!

THIS 140 DID NOT CRASH!!

BUT THE NEW OWNER DID MAKE AN INSURANCE CLAIM, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS A COMMON PITFALL OF AIRPLANE OWNERSHIP!

I HAVE NEVER MET THIS OWNER, BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES POINT TO THEM BEING A 1^ST TIME BUYER, AND THEY LIKELY DIDN’T DO A PRE-BUY OR HAD A PRE-BUY DONE AT A SHOP IN FLORIDA WHERE THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN BASED, NOT IN IDAHO WHERE HE LIVES.

THIS AIRPLANE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR THIS NEW OWNER (AND THE FIRST LOOK AT IT FOR THIS SHOP), AND AS SOMETIMES HAPPENS (OFTEN), THE SHOP MADE A LAUNDRY LIST OF ITEMS THEY WERE UNHAPPY WITH!

AS A RESULT OF THIS “LIST” THE NEW OWNER CLAIMED THAT A HARD LANDING HAD OCCURRED DURING HIS TENURE WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND SUBMITTED AN INSURANCE CLAIM.

THE SHOP WORKED WITH THE OWNER TO IDENTIFY ITEMS THAT THEY CONSIDERED PART OF A “HARD LANDING INSPECTION”. UNFORTUNATELY, THE OVERWORKED INSURANCE ADJUSTER FROM (2,200 MILES AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE) WAS FORCED TO TAKE THE WORD OF THE SHOP/OWNER  AND WAS NEVER ABLE TO PERSONALLY VIEW THE AIRPLANE!!

THIS IS UNFORTUNATE, AS I DON’T BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A HARD LANDING DURING THIS OWNERS TENURE WITH THE AIRPLANE (LATE 2023/EARLY 2024).

THE LOGBOOK SHOW THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE REPAIRED BETWEEN DECEMBER OF 2020 (ANNUAL INSPECTION) AND JANUARY 28^TH OF 2021.  THIS REPAIR INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING, ACCORDING TO THE LOGBOOK ENTRY:

“REINSTALLED WINGS ON THE AIRCRAFT USING ALL NEW HARDWARE”

NO DISCUSSION OF WHAT REQUIRED THE WING REMOVAL OR WHERE/WHEN THAT TOOK PLACE, BUT THE SUBSEQUINT PARTS REPLACEMENT ENTRY MAKES IT APPEAR THAT THE AIRPLANE SUFFERED FRONT END DAMAGE AND THE WINGS WERE REMOVED FOR TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE COULD NOT BE FERRIED AS IS.

THE ENTRY GOES ON TO PROPERLY LIST ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT WOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED WHEN REINSTALLING THE WINGS, SUCH AS CABLE RECONNECTION AND CABLE TENSIONING, FUEL LINE AND PITOT STATIC LINES, ELECTRICAL CONNECTED AND CHECKED, ETC.

THEN “INSPECTED ALL MAIN LANDING GEAR SPINDLES AND ALL ATTACHMENT HARDWARE”

FURTHER REPAIRS INCLUDE “REPAIRED LOWER PORTION OF FIREWALL, BY FABRICATING STAINLESS STEEL ANGLE AND REPLACING LOWER EDGE STIFFENER USED APPROVED MANEL RIVETS FOR THIS REPAIR” (SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION PER ORIGINAL TYPEWRITTEN LOGBOOK ENTRY).

THEN “INSTALLED SERVICEABLE ENGINE MOUNT AND LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY”, “INSTALLED SERVICABLE LOWER COWLING.”

THE 1/28/2021 ENTRY WAS THEN SIGNED BY THE A&P, ALONG WITH A MAINTENANCE RELEASE THAT STATED THE WORK PERFORMED IS AIRWORTHY AND APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SERVICE.

UNRELATED TO ANY REPAIRS, THEY ALSO “C/W SPAR ATTACHMENT A.D. BY INSTALLING INSPECTION PANELS ON THE WINGS”.

A PREVIOUS ENTRY ADDRESSED THE IMPORTANT SPAR INSPECTION:

05/17/2019 LOGBOOK ENTRY STATED “COMPLETED BORESCOPE SPAR INSPECTION ON BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WING ROOTS, AT 4,565.12 TOTAL TIME”, SO THIS A.D. APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH PREVIOUS TO THE 2021 REPAIR.

SO THERE WERE FRONT END REPAIRS MADE AND SIGNED OFF, BUT THE NEW SHOP DIDN’T LIKE THE REPAIRS!

YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTOS I PROVIDED THAT THERE IS A FLUSH PATCH ON THE FIREWALL FACE, AND A PATCH TO THE FORWARD BELLY IN THE CENTER.

NOT VERY PRETTY, BUT LEGAL!  THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT CAUSED THE SHOP TO REPORT  A HARD NOSE LANDING ANYWAY!.

THE OTHER ISSUE THE SHOP FOUND IS PURELY GEOGRAPHIC!

IN IDAHO, THE AIR IS CLEAN AND NOT AFFECTED BY THE SALT OF THE OCEAN (MINNESOTA HAS THAT SAME “CLEAN, SALT-FREE AIR)!

BUT THIS AIRPLANE CAME FROM FLORIDA, WHERE CORROSION IS MEASURED AND EXPECTED, NOT REJECTED AS UN-AIRWORTHY.

SO THE SHOP IN IDAHO MARKED (WITH A PIECE OF BLUE TAPE) EVERY SCREW AND BOLT HEAD WITH RUST ON IT AS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT!!

NOT TRUE, OF COURSE, BUT INDICITIVE OF WHAT THEY ARE USED TO SEEING (OR NOT SEEING) IN IDAHO!

SO THE ANNUAL “REPAIR ESTIMATE” RUBBED UP AGAINST THE INSURANCE PAPERS (THAT’S AN OLD JOKE), AND THE AIRPLANE WAS BOUGHT BACK BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND SOLD TO ME!THE LAST ANNUAL WAS PERFORMED 5/26/2023, AND THE AIRPLANE HAS FLOWN 200 HOURS, INCLUDING 100 HOURS IN IDAHO.

IT IS CURRENTLY JUST OUT OF ANNUAL.

THE 0-320 ENGINE WAS ALSO FLAGGED FOR DISCREPANCIES AND WAS REMOVED. THE ENGINE, PROP AND BOLT ON ACCESSORIES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS LISTING!

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ENGINE WAS PROPERLY REMOVED, UNBOLTED NOT CUT, SO REPLACEMENT OF YOUR CHOICE OF ENGINE (150 H.P. OR 160 H.P. CAN BE FITTED TO THIS MOUNT) WILL BE STRAIGHTFORWARD.

INSIDE, THIS AIRCRAFT IS SHARP, WITH 4 BLACK BUCKET SEATS AND MATCHING SIDE PANELS, ALL IN VERY NICE CONDITION, WITH FANCY RED STITCHING FOR ACCENT!!

THE LATE STYLE DASH HAS BEEN UPGRADED WITH RAM’S HORN CONTROL YOKES LIKE THE 180/ARROW, WHICH LOOKS MUCH MORE MODERN THAN THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BOW-TIE YOKES, AND THE RAMS HORNS FEEL BETTER IN YOUR HAND AND ELIMINATE A CRACKING PROBLEM FOUND IN THE BOW-TIE TYPE!

EQUIPPED WITH PILOT’S TOE BRAKES, FOR BETTER GROUND HANDLING AND A HEADS UP ATTITUDE ON THE RUNWAY DURING BRAKING!!

THE DASH CONTAINS A COMPLETE SET OF LATE MODEL FLIGHT AND ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION, EXCEPT THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, WHICH THE INSURED WAS APPARENTLY ALLOWED TO KEEP.

TRAYS ARE INSTALLED AND WIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING, BUT THE PANEL UNITS AND INDICATORS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS LISTING. TRAYS FIT:

KING KMD-540 LARGE SCREEN MAP

KING KLN94 COLOR MOVING MAP GPS

KING KX-170B NAV-COM

KING KX-125 DIGITAL NAV-COM

TERRA TMA 350D AUDIO PANEL WITH MARKERS AND INTERCOM

GARMIN GTX-327 DIGITAL TRANSPONDER.

IF YOU WANT TO DO IT THE EASY WAY, THESE TYPE ITEMS ARE READILY AVAILABLE, FROM US OR OTHERS, NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, OR UPGRADE AS YOU SEE FIT, WITHOUT PAYING FOR ITEMS YOU DON’T WANT!!

THIS AIRCRAFT IS SOLD WITH THE LOGBOOKS, COMPLETE, FROM DAY 1 , 2/11/1972 TO THE PRESENT!

ALSO INCLUDED ARE INSPECTION REPORTS, 337’S AND 8130-3 FORMS.

AND THE FAA BILL OF SALE!

AND THE FAA AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE!

AND THE KEYS!

THIS IS A GREAT “PROJECT’, BASICLY ADD YOUR CHOICE OF POWERPLANT AND SPRUCE IT UP A BIT!

LOCATED AT THE CALDWELL IDAHO AIRPORT, STILL ASSEMBLED, WAITING FOR YOU TO TAKE IT APART AND ORGANIZE THE ASSEMBLIES AND HARDWARE AS YOU WISH, RATHER THAN BUYING A “BASKET CASE”!

WE WILL PAY THE REASONABLE  STORAGE FEE FOR 30 DAYS FROM THE END OF THE AUCTION, AND MORE TIME IS AVAILABLEE AT YOUR COST AFTER THAT IF YOU NEED IT!

THIS WILL MAKE A GREAT AIRPLANE FOR A STUDENT PILOT, OR ONE LOOKING TO USE AN AIRPLANE TO BUILD TIME, OR FOR A REGIONAL GET AROUND AIRPLANE OR RETIREMENT AIRPLANE!

GOOD BIDDING!!