Narrative:

This story starts on the ground at an airport other than home base where our company had been called to haul automatic parts to ohio. While loading the cargo I was approached by a man who identified himself (actually I recognized him) as an FAA inspector. He questioned me on whether the cargo net and straps, which I was in fact using, were approved. I had been under the understanding that they were, in fact, approved and it had been my impression that the inspector who was asking the question had been the one who had authorized them. The inspector also took some photographs of the aircraft and at first I assumed was the cargo being loaded. After discussing the situation later on with another person present at the scene, the photos may have been of the door cable which I had unhooked to allow better access to the aircraft. The aircraft is an small transport with a cargo door and had had a door cable which split in the middle and allowed the wider door opening. The cable that was on the aircraft at the time of this incident was a one piece cable that came apart at the bottom by unbolting a pin. It was my assumption that this procedure was approved for the pilot to do. After unloading the cargo (the net and straps being questionable as to who and when they had been approved) and returning to home base and sitting down with the mechanics and having a rather lengthy discussion we are still unsure whether the pilot can remove that bolt or if this, like the removal of the seats in the aircraft, must be done by, or at least under the supervision of, a mechanic. I intend in the future to make absolutely sure that I have verified that both procedure and approvals have been made out for the aircraft that I fly. I guess I need to do a little more reading and studying than that which I already do.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAMP INSPECTION BY ACI RAISES A QUESTION OF LEGALITY ON A CARGO LOADING AND RESTRAINING PROC UTILIZED BY THE PLT OF AN SMT AIR TAXI FREIGHT OPERATION.

Narrative: THIS STORY STARTS ON THE GND AT AN ARPT OTHER THAN HOME BASE WHERE OUR COMPANY HAD BEEN CALLED TO HAUL AUTO PARTS TO OHIO. WHILE LOADING THE CARGO I WAS APCHED BY A MAN WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF (ACTUALLY I RECOGNIZED HIM) AS AN FAA INSPECTOR. HE QUESTIONED ME ON WHETHER THE CARGO NET AND STRAPS, WHICH I WAS IN FACT USING, WERE APPROVED. I HAD BEEN UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WERE, IN FACT, APPROVED AND IT HAD BEEN MY IMPRESSION THAT THE INSPECTOR WHO WAS ASKING THE QUESTION HAD BEEN THE ONE WHO HAD AUTHORIZED THEM. THE INSPECTOR ALSO TOOK SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ACFT AND AT FIRST I ASSUMED WAS THE CARGO BEING LOADED. AFTER DISCUSSING THE SITUATION LATER ON WITH ANOTHER PERSON PRESENT AT THE SCENE, THE PHOTOS MAY HAVE BEEN OF THE DOOR CABLE WHICH I HAD UNHOOKED TO ALLOW BETTER ACCESS TO THE ACFT. THE ACFT IS AN SMT WITH A CARGO DOOR AND HAD HAD A DOOR CABLE WHICH SPLIT IN THE MIDDLE AND ALLOWED THE WIDER DOOR OPENING. THE CABLE THAT WAS ON THE ACFT AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT WAS A ONE PIECE CABLE THAT CAME APART AT THE BOTTOM BY UNBOLTING A PIN. IT WAS MY ASSUMPTION THAT THIS PROC WAS APPROVED FOR THE PLT TO DO. AFTER UNLOADING THE CARGO (THE NET AND STRAPS BEING QUESTIONABLE AS TO WHO AND WHEN THEY HAD BEEN APPROVED) AND RETURNING TO HOME BASE AND SITTING DOWN WITH THE MECHANICS AND HAVING A RATHER LENGTHY DISCUSSION WE ARE STILL UNSURE WHETHER THE PLT CAN REMOVE THAT BOLT OR IF THIS, LIKE THE REMOVAL OF THE SEATS IN THE ACFT, MUST BE DONE BY, OR AT LEAST UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF, A MECHANIC. I INTEND IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT I HAVE VERIFIED THAT BOTH PROC AND APPROVALS HAVE BEEN MADE OUT FOR THE ACFT THAT I FLY. I GUESS I NEED TO DO A LITTLE MORE READING AND STUDYING THAN THAT WHICH I ALREADY DO.

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.