The Maintenance Preflight Inspection is accomplished prior to the ______ and remains effective for ______ provided no subsequent maintenance has been performed.

• A. First flight of the day, 24 hours
• B. Takeoff, 12 hours
• C. Engine start, 24 hours
• D. Departure, 48 hours

Answer: (A)

The maintenance preflight inspection is a daily readiness check performed before the first flight of the day to verify that maintenance actions have been properly completed and that no new issues have arisen since the last maintenance or flight. It remains in effect for 24 hours as the safety window because, within a day, conditions can change and potential problems could develop. If any maintenance is performed after this inspection, the 24-hour validity ends and a new MPI would be needed to reflect the current state. The other options would tie the check to other events (takeoff, engine start, departure) or extend the window beyond a day, which isn’t how this inspection is intended to function.