Narrative:

It was my second week as a pilot with company a. After I shut down on the ramp and unloaded my cargo, I turned over information pertaining to the flight to the FAA inspector. There was no problem. My operations manual was with me and up to date, weight and balance in order, certificates and medical fine, and all maintenance and work on small aircraft X complied with. Just before he was done, he asked to see the aircraft regulation, radio station license, and airworthiness certificate. As I handed him the papers, I noticed one of the sheets was pink, but didn't think anything about it. This is where the problem occurred. Evidently with the aircraft was purchased by the company back in july there was issued a temporary registration certificate. This certificate is good for 90 days at which time it must replaced by a hard copy. Now my employer has a copy of the new registration for us, but somewhere along the way it never made it into the aircraft. Registration is something that most pilots assume is on the aircraft when you see all of the papers stuck in the pouch, however it was ultimately my (PIC) responsibility. What bothers me most is that I try very hard to not get a violation; cross all my T's and DOT all my I's. Obviously this was not any hazard to the safety of the operation; however, now when I go to get a job and the application asks if I have any violations it's there. It seems as though a pilot with no prior violations or low # of violations should at least get 1 warning of some kind when he is obviously operating safely within regulations and procedures, and that violations should be removed from his/her record after a period of time, like traffic violations. This inspector was actually there to give a check ride and just decided to do a ramp check.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO CARRYING SMA FOUND TO HAVE LAPSED CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION WHEN RAMP CHECKED BY FAA INSPECTOR.

Narrative: IT WAS MY SECOND WK AS A PLT WITH COMPANY A. AFTER I SHUT DOWN ON THE RAMP AND UNLOADED MY CARGO, I TURNED OVER INFO PERTAINING TO THE FLT TO THE FAA INSPECTOR. THERE WAS NO PROB. MY OPS MANUAL WAS WITH ME AND UP TO DATE, WT AND BAL IN ORDER, CERTIFICATES AND MEDICAL FINE, AND ALL MAINT AND WORK ON SMA X COMPLIED WITH. JUST BEFORE HE WAS DONE, HE ASKED TO SEE THE ACFT REG, RADIO STATION LICENSE, AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. AS I HANDED HIM THE PAPERS, I NOTICED ONE OF THE SHEETS WAS PINK, BUT DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS WHERE THE PROB OCCURRED. EVIDENTLY WITH THE ACFT WAS PURCHASED BY THE COMPANY BACK IN JULY THERE WAS ISSUED A TEMPORARY REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. THIS CERTIFICATE IS GOOD FOR 90 DAYS AT WHICH TIME IT MUST REPLACED BY A HARD COPY. NOW MY EMPLOYER HAS A COPY OF THE NEW REGISTRATION FOR US, BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY IT NEVER MADE IT INTO THE ACFT. REGISTRATION IS SOMETHING THAT MOST PLTS ASSUME IS ON THE ACFT WHEN YOU SEE ALL OF THE PAPERS STUCK IN THE POUCH, HOWEVER IT WAS ULTIMATELY MY (PIC) RESPONSIBILITY. WHAT BOTHERS ME MOST IS THAT I TRY VERY HARD TO NOT GET A VIOLATION; CROSS ALL MY T'S AND DOT ALL MY I'S. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS NOT ANY HAZARD TO THE SAFETY OF THE OPERATION; HOWEVER, NOW WHEN I GO TO GET A JOB AND THE APPLICATION ASKS IF I HAVE ANY VIOLATIONS IT'S THERE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH A PLT WITH NO PRIOR VIOLATIONS OR LOW # OF VIOLATIONS SHOULD AT LEAST GET 1 WARNING OF SOME KIND WHEN HE IS OBVIOUSLY OPERATING SAFELY WITHIN REGS AND PROCS, AND THAT VIOLATIONS SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM HIS/HER RECORD AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, LIKE TFC VIOLATIONS. THIS INSPECTOR WAS ACTUALLY THERE TO GIVE A CHK RIDE AND JUST DECIDED TO DO A RAMP CHK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.