How is landing gear extension checked during a preflight walkaround?

• A. Confirm visible extension leg length and absence of fluid leakage, verify gear down indicators, ensure doors are not fouled, and assess wheel/tire clearance.
• B. Listen for a clunking sound to confirm extension.
• C. Count the number of hydraulic lines in the system.
• D. Review the maintenance log for last service date.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that confidence in the landing gear extension starts with confirming the system has recently been verified by maintenance. Reviewing the maintenance log for the last service date ensures that the gear extension system has been inspected, tested, and brought up to date within its required intervals. This documentation provides a traceable record that the hydraulic, mechanical, and sensor components involved in extending and retracting the gear have been checked by qualified personnel and are within limits, reducing the chance of latent faults going unnoticed during the walkaround.

Of course, you would still perform the practical checks you can see and feel during the walkaround—confirming the external leg extension, looking for fluid leaks, verifying gear-down indicators, ensuring doors aren’t fouled, and checking wheel/tire clearance—but those checks alone don’t prove airworthiness in the same way that documented maintenance verification does. The maintenance log complements the physical checks by confirming recent service and any outstanding maintenance actions.