Narrative:

On feb/wed/90, I was taking my check ride for the certified flight instructor license. I took the test through the FAA by way of the local FSDO, located on the airport. The aircraft I used was rented from XXXX, also located at allegheny county airport. A complex aircraft was hangared and had just undergone gear work by a certified mechanic because of gear problems on earlier flts. This was brought to my attention and I replied that I would use the aircraft for my test if I could fly it first to familiarize myself with the aircraft. Since the aircraft needed to be test flown, I was to be checked out in it and the aircraft test flown simultaneously. I and a flight instructor from XXXX were the pilots. After the flight, the aircraft's logbooks were taken to the FAA for approval of airworthiness, as required by the FAA for all of their check rides. Shortly thereafter, I was notified that the documents on board the aircraft were invalid and the aircraft was flown illegally by: 1) the aircraft had on board a temporary registration certificate which had expired. 2) the north number on the airworthiness certificate was different from the north number on the aircraft. The serial number on the airworthiness certificate did agree with aircraft registration and logbooks. 3) no logbook entry in the aircraft logbooks were made for the gear work and the test flight sign-off. Aircraft north number: xa. I was PIC of the flight and by far 91.3, I was responsible for that flight and I should have checked the aircraft documents. I have flown aircraft at flight schools all of my flying career. The aircraft at flight schools are numerous and it is difficult to know all the details of every aircraft. To prevent further problems of this nature in the future, aviation flight schools need to be more careful in aircraft documents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT AIRWORTHINESS REGISTRATION AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS NOT IN ORDER.

Narrative: ON FEB/WED/90, I WAS TAKING MY CHECK RIDE FOR THE CERTIFIED FLT INSTRUCTOR LICENSE. I TOOK THE TEST THROUGH THE FAA BY WAY OF THE LOCAL FSDO, LOCATED ON THE ARPT. THE ACFT I USED WAS RENTED FROM XXXX, ALSO LOCATED AT ALLEGHENY COUNTY ARPT. A COMPLEX ACFT WAS HANGARED AND HAD JUST UNDERGONE GEAR WORK BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC BECAUSE OF GEAR PROBLEMS ON EARLIER FLTS. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN AND I REPLIED THAT I WOULD USE THE ACFT FOR MY TEST IF I COULD FLY IT FIRST TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE ACFT. SINCE THE ACFT NEEDED TO BE TEST FLOWN, I WAS TO BE CHECKED OUT IN IT AND THE ACFT TEST FLOWN SIMULTANEOUSLY. I AND A FLT INSTRUCTOR FROM XXXX WERE THE PLTS. AFTER THE FLT, THE ACFT'S LOGBOOKS WERE TAKEN TO THE FAA FOR APPROVAL OF AIRWORTHINESS, AS REQUIRED BY THE FAA FOR ALL OF THEIR CHECK RIDES. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE DOCUMENTS ON BOARD THE ACFT WERE INVALID AND THE ACFT WAS FLOWN ILLEGALLY BY: 1) THE ACFT HAD ON BOARD A TEMPORARY REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE WHICH HAD EXPIRED. 2) THE N NUMBER ON THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE N NUMBER ON THE ACFT. THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE DID AGREE WITH ACFT REGISTRATION AND LOGBOOKS. 3) NO LOGBOOK ENTRY IN THE ACFT LOGBOOKS WERE MADE FOR THE GEAR WORK AND THE TEST FLT SIGN-OFF. ACFT N NUMBER: XA. I WAS PIC OF THE FLT AND BY FAR 91.3, I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT FLT AND I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THE ACFT DOCUMENTS. I HAVE FLOWN ACFT AT FLT SCHOOLS ALL OF MY FLYING CAREER. THE ACFT AT FLT SCHOOLS ARE NUMEROUS AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW ALL THE DETAILS OF EVERY ACFT. TO PREVENT FURTHER PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE IN THE FUTURE, AVIATION FLT SCHOOLS NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL IN ACFT DOCUMENTS.

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.