Narrative:

I am an instructor for a flight school at the allegheny county airport. This flight school is continuously updating its fleet to accommodate more students. As a result, the paperwork may not always be 100% correct. On the day in mention I was asked by the director of maintenance to test fly the airplane. Previous to the flight the gear had been worked on by a certified mechanic. While test flying the airplane I was to check a student out in the airplane so that when the flight was complete, the student could go to the FAA for his certified flight instructors license. After the flight the student went to the FAA with the logbooks (as required by the FAA, when a test with their people is being taken, they must first check out all logbooks on the airplane). The FAA then called me to the office. The FAA person that I spoke with stated that we were flying the airplane illegally. When I asked why, here were his reasons: 1) the registration had expired on the airplane. 2) the north number on the airworthiness certificate had not been changed when we purchased the airplane. 3) no logbook entry had been made for the gear work that had been done even though it was a test flight. As PIC it was my responsibility to check the paperwork. But as a flight instructor on many airplanes it is hard to know all details about all airplanes. The gentleman from the FAA said that there would be no corrective action taken against me. But for legal purposes here is my report. As far as what I think could be done to prevent future incidents such as this, the flight school should be sure that all paperwork is correct before the airplane is dispatched to any one as well as the PIC doing the proper preflight including all paperwork. The flight was successful. The only problem is that the paperwork was not complete.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH FLT BECAUSE OF MISSING REQUIRED PAPERWORK.

Narrative: I AM AN INSTRUCTOR FOR A FLT SCHOOL AT THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY ARPT. THIS FLT SCHOOL IS CONTINUOUSLY UPDATING ITS FLEET TO ACCOMMODATE MORE STUDENTS. AS A RESULT, THE PAPERWORK MAY NOT ALWAYS BE 100% CORRECT. ON THE DAY IN MENTION I WAS ASKED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT TO TEST FLY THE AIRPLANE. PREVIOUS TO THE FLT THE GEAR HAD BEEN WORKED ON BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC. WHILE TEST FLYING THE AIRPLANE I WAS TO CHECK A STUDENT OUT IN THE AIRPLANE SO THAT WHEN THE FLT WAS COMPLETE, THE STUDENT COULD GO TO THE FAA FOR HIS CERTIFIED FLT INSTRUCTORS LICENSE. AFTER THE FLT THE STUDENT WENT TO THE FAA WITH THE LOGBOOKS (AS REQUIRED BY THE FAA, WHEN A TEST WITH THEIR PEOPLE IS BEING TAKEN, THEY MUST FIRST CHECK OUT ALL LOGBOOKS ON THE AIRPLANE). THE FAA THEN CALLED ME TO THE OFFICE. THE FAA PERSON THAT I SPOKE WITH STATED THAT WE WERE FLYING THE AIRPLANE ILLEGALLY. WHEN I ASKED WHY, HERE WERE HIS REASONS: 1) THE REGISTRATION HAD EXPIRED ON THE AIRPLANE. 2) THE N NUMBER ON THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE HAD NOT BEEN CHANGED WHEN WE PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE. 3) NO LOGBOOK ENTRY HAD BEEN MADE FOR THE GEAR WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A TEST FLT. AS PIC IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK THE PAPERWORK. BUT AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR ON MANY AIRPLANES IT IS HARD TO KNOW ALL DETAILS ABOUT ALL AIRPLANES. THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE FAA SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN AGAINST ME. BUT FOR LEGAL PURPOSES HERE IS MY REPORT. AS FAR AS WHAT I THINK COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT FUTURE INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS, THE FLT SCHOOL SHOULD BE SURE THAT ALL PAPERWORK IS CORRECT BEFORE THE AIRPLANE IS DISPATCHED TO ANY ONE AS WELL AS THE PIC DOING THE PROPER PREFLT INCLUDING ALL PAPERWORK. THE FLT WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THE PAPERWORK WAS NOT COMPLETE.

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.