Narrative:

I borrowed a friend's small aircraft to take my CFI checkride at baltimore FAA FSDO 7 on nov/thu/89. The safety inspector gave the aircraft's logo to a maintenance inspector for review. The maintenance inspector returned to me with the plane's log and said the plane was illegal to fly due to owner performed maintenance. He itemized: 1) aug 1989 the owner replaced a leaking wet compass with a card compass. 2) august 1989 the owner replaced the facility avionics fan with an identical manufacturer supplied fan and blower. 3) november 1989 I recalculated the weight and balance to reflect the removal of main wheel parts for winter operations. Neither the owner nor I are a&P's. An a&P did not sign off the owner's work nor my recalculations. The maintenance inspector maintained I used an incorrect arm to redo the weight and balance. Additionally, the owner and I swung the compass, not once, but twice (10 days apart), to confirm the deviation card. Upon being informed of the maintenance inspector's comments, the owner immediately took the plane to the avionics shop at baltimore before the flight check part of my examination. His intent was to comply as soon as possible as he and I were unaware of these maintenance violations. We were unaware because we had consulted with our regular mechanic about doing the work and the mechanic said it would be legal for us to do this work. When the work was inspected at baltimore all work was found to comply and it was determined I used a correct arm and the maintenance inspector was using the wrong arm. All work was signed off without any changes, including the deviation card. Supplemental information from acn 129900: I replaced the avionics cooling motor and fan assembly with an approved motor and fan assembly from manufacturer aircraft corporation. This fan and motor assembly is attached by 4 screws to the firewall of the aircraft and uses 2 quick connect electrical connections. I replaced a defective wet type compass with a tso'ed company vertical card compass. The compass was mounted on the existing support used for the wet compass per the manufacturer's directions. I temporarily removed my main landing gear wheel pants, subsequently the weight and balance were recalculated. I believed at the time this work was accomplished under owner allowed maintenance and confirmed in part by my regular a&P mechanic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OWNER AND PLT FRIEND PERFORMED MINOR MAINTENANCE ON ACFT.

Narrative: I BORROWED A FRIEND'S SMA TO TAKE MY CFI CHECKRIDE AT BALTIMORE FAA FSDO 7 ON NOV/THU/89. THE SAFETY INSPECTOR GAVE THE ACFT'S LOGO TO A MAINT INSPECTOR FOR REVIEW. THE MAINT INSPECTOR RETURNED TO ME WITH THE PLANE'S LOG AND SAID THE PLANE WAS ILLEGAL TO FLY DUE TO OWNER PERFORMED MAINT. HE ITEMIZED: 1) AUG 1989 THE OWNER REPLACED A LEAKING WET COMPASS WITH A CARD COMPASS. 2) AUGUST 1989 THE OWNER REPLACED THE FACILITY AVIONICS FAN WITH AN IDENTICAL MANUFACTURER SUPPLIED FAN AND BLOWER. 3) NOVEMBER 1989 I RECALCULATED THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE TO REFLECT THE REMOVAL OF MAIN WHEEL PARTS FOR WINTER OPERATIONS. NEITHER THE OWNER NOR I ARE A&P'S. AN A&P DID NOT SIGN OFF THE OWNER'S WORK NOR MY RECALCULATIONS. THE MAINT INSPECTOR MAINTAINED I USED AN INCORRECT ARM TO REDO THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE. ADDITIONALLY, THE OWNER AND I SWUNG THE COMPASS, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE (10 DAYS APART), TO CONFIRM THE DEVIATION CARD. UPON BEING INFORMED OF THE MAINT INSPECTOR'S COMMENTS, THE OWNER IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE PLANE TO THE AVIONICS SHOP AT BALTIMORE BEFORE THE FLT CHECK PART OF MY EXAM. HIS INTENT WAS TO COMPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS HE AND I WERE UNAWARE OF THESE MAINT VIOLATIONS. WE WERE UNAWARE BECAUSE WE HAD CONSULTED WITH OUR REGULAR MECHANIC ABOUT DOING THE WORK AND THE MECHANIC SAID IT WOULD BE LEGAL FOR US TO DO THIS WORK. WHEN THE WORK WAS INSPECTED AT BALTIMORE ALL WORK WAS FOUND TO COMPLY AND IT WAS DETERMINED I USED A CORRECT ARM AND THE MAINT INSPECTOR WAS USING THE WRONG ARM. ALL WORK WAS SIGNED OFF WITHOUT ANY CHANGES, INCLUDING THE DEVIATION CARD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 129900: I REPLACED THE AVIONICS COOLING MOTOR AND FAN ASSEMBLY WITH AN APPROVED MOTOR AND FAN ASSEMBLY FROM MANUFACTURER ACFT CORPORATION. THIS FAN AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY IS ATTACHED BY 4 SCREWS TO THE FIREWALL OF THE ACFT AND USES 2 QUICK CONNECT ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. I REPLACED A DEFECTIVE WET TYPE COMPASS WITH A TSO'ED COMPANY VERTICAL CARD COMPASS. THE COMPASS WAS MOUNTED ON THE EXISTING SUPPORT USED FOR THE WET COMPASS PER THE MANUFACTURER'S DIRECTIONS. I TEMPORARILY REMOVED MY MAIN LNDG GEAR WHEEL PANTS, SUBSEQUENTLY THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE WERE RECALCULATED. I BELIEVED AT THE TIME THIS WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNDER OWNER ALLOWED MAINT AND CONFIRMED IN PART BY MY REGULAR A&P MECHANIC.

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.