Narrative:

I was approached and questioned by an agent of the us customs service while on the ground at the airport in jan. The aircraft that I had flown into jan earlier in the day (ma X) had modified some 2 days earlier with the addition of an auxiliary fuel tank mounted in the baggage compartment persuant to aircraft specification, item xyz. Although the installation had been accomplished and inspected by a properly certificated air frame and power plant mechanic/inspector, the FAA form 337 covering the installation was accidentally left at the repair facility with other aircraft documents. These documents were requested by the customs agent. We discovered when I unlocked the aircraft that the forms had been left all together at the repair facility. FAA 337 in the tank, registration, airworthiness certificate, weight and balance, etc had been left in the shop in olney, tx, where the recent annual inspection and installation had been done. All of the paperwork had been removed for inspection as part of the annual inspection. I had owned the aircraft for some time prior to the date (1/zz/90) that this annual inspection and fuel tank installation had been performed. It now appears that the aircraft had been operated on several occasions west/O a proper registration certificate having been on file with the FAA. It also appears that the aircraft had been inadvertently operated on at least one occasion (and possibly several occasions) in an out of annual condition and west/O the proper FAA ferry permit having first been obtained. When the aircraft was purchased, a secretary in my employ had been instructed to complete the registration application and to register the aircraft with the FAA in oklahoma city. It now appears that the instructions were not properly carried out, therefore the aircraft was not properly registered and the oversight was not noticed by me at any time prior to the annual inspection of 1/90. When the customs agent and his dog examined the aircraft for contraband, none was found. The corrective action taken in this matter was to contact the mechanic and have him facsimile a copy of the aircraft registration pink slip and the FAA form 337 to agent. The remaining paperwork is available to return to the aircraft when the aircraft is made available to me. I feel that these incidents occurred due to my lack of attention as a pilot and aircraft owner. I feel that I displayed poor judgement in my decision to put the responsibility to typing and mailing the registration application upon a company secretary. I now believe that I should have handled that myself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UPON CUSTOMS CHECK OF SMA BY CUSTOMS AGENT, ACFT DOCUMENTATION FOUND TO BE ABSENT.

Narrative: I WAS APCHED AND QUESTIONED BY AN AGENT OF THE U.S. CUSTOMS SVC WHILE ON THE GND AT THE ARPT IN JAN. THE ACFT THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO JAN EARLIER IN THE DAY (MA X) HAD MODIFIED SOME 2 DAYS EARLIER WITH THE ADDITION OF AN AUX FUEL TANK MOUNTED IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT PERSUANT TO ACFT SPEC, ITEM XYZ. ALTHOUGH THE INSTALLATION HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND INSPECTED BY A PROPERLY CERTIFICATED AIR FRAME AND POWER PLANT MECH/INSPECTOR, THE FAA FORM 337 COVERING THE INSTALLATION WAS ACCIDENTALLY LEFT AT THE REPAIR FAC WITH OTHER ACFT DOCUMENTS. THESE DOCUMENTS WERE REQUESTED BY THE CUSTOMS AGENT. WE DISCOVERED WHEN I UNLOCKED THE ACFT THAT THE FORMS HAD BEEN LEFT ALL TOGETHER AT THE REPAIR FAC. FAA 337 IN THE TANK, REGISTRATION, AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE, WT AND BAL, ETC HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE SHOP IN OLNEY, TX, WHERE THE RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION AND INSTALLATION HAD BEEN DONE. ALL OF THE PAPERWORK HAD BEEN REMOVED FOR INSPECTION AS PART OF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. I HAD OWNED THE ACFT FOR SOME TIME PRIOR TO THE DATE (1/ZZ/90) THAT THIS ANNUAL INSPECTION AND FUEL TANK INSTALLATION HAD BEEN PERFORMED. IT NOW APPEARS THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN OPERATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS W/O A PROPER REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE HAVING BEEN ON FILE WITH THE FAA. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY OPERATED ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION (AND POSSIBLY SEVERAL OCCASIONS) IN AN OUT OF ANNUAL CONDITION AND W/O THE PROPER FAA FERRY PERMIT HAVING FIRST BEEN OBTAINED. WHEN THE ACFT WAS PURCHASED, A SECRETARY IN MY EMPLOY HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION APPLICATION AND TO REGISTER THE ACFT WITH THE FAA IN OKLAHOMA CITY. IT NOW APPEARS THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT PROPERLY CARRIED OUT, THEREFORE THE ACFT WAS NOT PROPERLY REGISTERED AND THE OVERSIGHT WAS NOT NOTICED BY ME AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO THE ANNUAL INSPECTION OF 1/90. WHEN THE CUSTOMS AGENT AND HIS DOG EXAMINED THE ACFT FOR CONTRABAND, NONE WAS FOUND. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN IN THIS MATTER WAS TO CONTACT THE MECH AND HAVE HIM FAX A COPY OF THE ACFT REGISTRATION PINK SLIP AND THE FAA FORM 337 TO AGENT. THE REMAINING PAPERWORK IS AVAILABLE TO RETURN TO THE ACFT WHEN THE ACFT IS MADE AVAILABLE TO ME. I FEEL THAT THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED DUE TO MY LACK OF ATTN AS A PLT AND ACFT OWNER. I FEEL THAT I DISPLAYED POOR JUDGEMENT IN MY DECISION TO PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY TO TYPING AND MAILING THE REGISTRATION APPLICATION UPON A COMPANY SECRETARY. I NOW BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE HANDLED THAT MYSELF.

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.