What Is the Lone Lug Meant for on This Cessna 172?

The right wheel of a Cessna 172 with what looks like a lug nut sticking out of it. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]

QUESTION: I just noticed something odd about an airplane on the ramp. The right wheel of the Cessna 172 has what looks like a lug nut sticking out of it, and this lug nut is missing from the left wheel. Is there supposed to be another part there? What is the lug for? Is the aircraft still airworthy?

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Answer: For this one we reached out to our cadre of A&P and A&P/IAs. They tell us that the part was probably used to attach wheel pants once upon a time.

There may have been a lug nut on the other wheel that was taken off, or fell off. Wheel pants are not required on Cessna 172 under FAR 91.205, so this is not a grounding issue.

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aircraft wheels ask flying Cessna 172 wheel pants

Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.