Narrative:

Basically, I am submitting this report for the purpose of immunity, as I am not convinced that there is a safety problem from which we could all learn. After takeoff, my landing gear would not retract, so I returned to the field and landed. Shortly after landing the FAA maintenance inspector showed up and began looking for things wrong with the operation. By the way, keep in mind that I was flying an airplane which I have been flying for the same company for over 4 yrs without an interruption. Unknown to me, the company changed the registered name and there was a temporary registration slip in the in the aircraft. That temporary had expired the previous day! Therefore, the maintenance inspector involved knew he had a bonafide criminal here, and proceeded to stress my culpability in the crime of flying an illegal airplane. Next, the inspector checked our weight and balance. My next violation came to light. Prior to receiving our cargo of aog aircraft parts, the company dispatcher had asked our on duty mechanic to remove interior seats to avoid soiling or damage. The inspector looked at our form for showing the pilots the B.O.west., and noticed that it made no provision for the seats being out. When asked, I said that the aircraft was lighter, if any thing, and that I knew that the aircraft was well within center of gravity and weight limits. He was unsatisfied and that another violation could be filed against me. After our company's poi showed up, he had me work out a west&B longhand (our system used a template) and that computation showed that we were 2500 pounds under gross, and with center of gravity easily. When I left, the maintenance inspector was also making noises about violating the company for not providing accurate information to the pilots (center of gravity with seats out), and was loudly criticizing the mechanic because he raised the airplane and cycled the gear without following the manufacturer's trouble shooting guide. This guy came on like 'mcgarret, five-oh', and seemed to enjoy it. This new attitude that the FAA has of 'making them pay!' is doing nothing for the safety of the traveling public, endangering the livelihood of professionals, and causing pilots to go underground with problems out of fear. Such policies will have the exact opposite effect of that which the public desires, in the long run.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR ON RAMP INSPECTION DISCOVERED TEMPORARY REGISTRATION ONE DAY EXPIRED. THEN CHALLENGED REMOVAL OF SEATS WITHOUT REWORK OF WEIGHT AND BALANCE.

Narrative: BASICALLY, I AM SUBMITTING THIS REPORT FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMMUNITY, AS I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT THERE IS A SAFETY PROBLEM FROM WHICH WE COULD ALL LEARN. AFTER TKOF, MY LNDG GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT, SO I RETURNED TO THE FIELD AND LANDED. SHORTLY AFTER LNDG THE FAA MAINT INSPECTOR SHOWED UP AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR THINGS WRONG WITH THE OPERATION. BY THE WAY, KEEP IN MIND THAT I WAS FLYING AN AIRPLANE WHICH I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR THE SAME COMPANY FOR OVER 4 YRS WITHOUT AN INTERRUPTION. UNKNOWN TO ME, THE COMPANY CHANGED THE REGISTERED NAME AND THERE WAS A TEMPORARY REGISTRATION SLIP IN THE IN THE ACFT. THAT TEMPORARY HAD EXPIRED THE PREVIOUS DAY! THEREFORE, THE MAINT INSPECTOR INVOLVED KNEW HE HAD A BONAFIDE CRIMINAL HERE, AND PROCEEDED TO STRESS MY CULPABILITY IN THE CRIME OF FLYING AN ILLEGAL AIRPLANE. NEXT, THE INSPECTOR CHECKED OUR WEIGHT AND BALANCE. MY NEXT VIOLATION CAME TO LIGHT. PRIOR TO RECEIVING OUR CARGO OF AOG ACFT PARTS, THE COMPANY DISPATCHER HAD ASKED OUR ON DUTY MECHANIC TO REMOVE INTERIOR SEATS TO AVOID SOILING OR DAMAGE. THE INSPECTOR LOOKED AT OUR FORM FOR SHOWING THE PLTS THE B.O.W., AND NOTICED THAT IT MADE NO PROVISION FOR THE SEATS BEING OUT. WHEN ASKED, I SAID THAT THE ACFT WAS LIGHTER, IF ANY THING, AND THAT I KNEW THAT THE ACFT WAS WELL WITHIN CENTER OF GRAVITY AND WEIGHT LIMITS. HE WAS UNSATISFIED AND THAT ANOTHER VIOLATION COULD BE FILED AGAINST ME. AFTER OUR COMPANY'S POI SHOWED UP, HE HAD ME WORK OUT A W&B LONGHAND (OUR SYSTEM USED A TEMPLATE) AND THAT COMPUTATION SHOWED THAT WE WERE 2500 LBS UNDER GROSS, AND WITH CENTER OF GRAVITY EASILY. WHEN I LEFT, THE MAINT INSPECTOR WAS ALSO MAKING NOISES ABOUT VIOLATING THE COMPANY FOR NOT PROVIDING ACCURATE INFORMATION TO THE PLTS (CENTER OF GRAVITY WITH SEATS OUT), AND WAS LOUDLY CRITICIZING THE MECHANIC BECAUSE HE RAISED THE AIRPLANE AND CYCLED THE GEAR WITHOUT FOLLOWING THE MANUFACTURER'S TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE. THIS GUY CAME ON LIKE 'MCGARRET, FIVE-OH', AND SEEMED TO ENJOY IT. THIS NEW ATTITUDE THAT THE FAA HAS OF 'MAKING THEM PAY!' IS DOING NOTHING FOR THE SAFETY OF THE TRAVELING PUBLIC, ENDANGERING THE LIVELIHOOD OF PROFESSIONALS, AND CAUSING PLTS TO GO UNDERGROUND WITH PROBLEMS OUT OF FEAR. SUCH POLICIES WILL HAVE THE EXACT OPPOSITE EFFECT OF THAT WHICH THE PUBLIC DESIRES, IN THE LONG RUN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.