Narrative:

This problem arose when my right wingtip on my 1966 small aircraft was stolen. Because my wingtips are after-factory equipment, I was not able to immediately purchase a replacement, but had to wait for a new tip to be manufactured. As I use my aircraft to get to work, I continued to operate it pending receipt of the new wingtip. On tue, 2/90, I arrived at my aircraft at burbank airport to fly to riverside. I noted a tag on the door handle of my airplane with a lot of small print (copy enclosed). As I was running late for my obligation, and as I get many tags on my plane of various sorts, I did not fully read it until I was airborne. It appeared at first glance to be a directive to make the appropriate repairs, rather than a directive not to fly the airplane. When I landed at riverside-arlington airport I was met by two officials from the FAA, at which time I acknowledged the intent of the tag. They inspected my log books and took information related to this incident. They indicated this problem was minor enough that they would grant me a special certificate to return to burbank, which they did. However that afternoon, prior to further flight or use of the special certificate, the repairs were made (by removing my old left wingtip and putting on two temporary replacement standard wingtips with navigation lights) and the aircraft was returned to regular use. I feel that the FAA's intent for me not to utilize the aircraft until the wingtip was replaced was inadvertently camouflaged in the small print of the tag.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT FLEW HIS ACFT AFTER IT WAS TAGGED FOR NEED REPAIR BY FSDO INSPECTOR.

Narrative: THIS PROB AROSE WHEN MY R WINGTIP ON MY 1966 SMA WAS STOLEN. BECAUSE MY WINGTIPS ARE AFTER-FACTORY EQUIP, I WAS NOT ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT, BUT HAD TO WAIT FOR A NEW TIP TO BE MANUFACTURED. AS I USE MY ACFT TO GET TO WORK, I CONTINUED TO OPERATE IT PENDING RECEIPT OF THE NEW WINGTIP. ON TUE, 2/90, I ARRIVED AT MY ACFT AT BURBANK ARPT TO FLY TO RIVERSIDE. I NOTED A TAG ON THE DOOR HANDLE OF MY AIRPLANE WITH A LOT OF SMALL PRINT (COPY ENCLOSED). AS I WAS RUNNING LATE FOR MY OBLIGATION, AND AS I GET MANY TAGS ON MY PLANE OF VARIOUS SORTS, I DID NOT FULLY READ IT UNTIL I WAS AIRBORNE. IT APPEARED AT FIRST GLANCE TO BE A DIRECTIVE TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE REPAIRS, RATHER THAN A DIRECTIVE NOT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. WHEN I LANDED AT RIVERSIDE-ARLINGTON ARPT I WAS MET BY TWO OFFICIALS FROM THE FAA, AT WHICH TIME I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INTENT OF THE TAG. THEY INSPECTED MY LOG BOOKS AND TOOK INFO RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT. THEY INDICATED THIS PROB WAS MINOR ENOUGH THAT THEY WOULD GRANT ME A SPECIAL CERTIFICATE TO RETURN TO BURBANK, WHICH THEY DID. HOWEVER THAT AFTERNOON, PRIOR TO FURTHER FLT OR USE OF THE SPECIAL CERTIFICATE, THE REPAIRS WERE MADE (BY REMOVING MY OLD LEFT WINGTIP AND PUTTING ON TWO TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT STANDARD WINGTIPS WITH NAV LIGHTS) AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO REGULAR USE. I FEEL THAT THE FAA'S INTENT FOR ME NOT TO UTILIZE THE ACFT UNTIL THE WINGTIP WAS REPLACED WAS INADVERTENTLY CAMOUFLAGED IN THE SMALL PRINT OF THE TAG.

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.