Unpopular opinion: I keep seeing guys use the wrong torque sequence on those new composite cowlings from the Cessna 172S.

I watched three different techs at my hangar in Phoenix skip the cross pattern and just go around the edge, which can warp the flange and cause a gap that messes with airflow.

4 comments

4 Comments

marywilson2mo agoTop Commenter

Honestly, three techs at one hangar doing it wrong is wild. I thought the cross pattern was like day one stuff on those composite panels. I saw a Skyhawk at Chandler last month with a warped lower cowl you could actually see from ten feet away.

william_garcia2mo agoMost Upvoted

Skipping the cross pattern is just asking for trouble. I saw a 182 at a fly-in last year with a cowling gap you could fit a finger in. The owner kept blaming it on a bad repair, but everyone on the line knew it was from someone just cranking bolts in a circle. How do you even get signed off without learning the right sequence?

victor_robinson1mo agoMost Upvoted

Even the manuals show the wrong pattern sometimes.

reese_bennett252mo ago

Yeah that's a classic. I always start finger tight in the right pattern, then do a second pass with the torque wrench. Takes an extra minute but saves so much headache.