Primary training flight conducted although aircraft had a loose tail tiedown fitting and had been cr...

Attributes
ACN	148754
Time
Date	199006
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 01v
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	148754
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

My student preflted the aircraft in preparation for a training flight. While the student was preflting the FAA was out on the line inspecting aircraft. Prior to the flight my student and I discussed the airworthiness of the aircraft, and found it more than adequate for flight. After start and prior to taxi an FAA inspector stopped the aircraft. He came up to the window and said, 'rivets are missing and the skin is peeling off.' immediately turned to my student and asked if he had seen anything wrong with the tail of the aircraft. He replied, no rivets are missing, no rivets are loose, the skin is not peeling, it's fine. The tie down is loose, only loose. With no further comment from the FAA inspector we started to taxi. After a normal training flight, and upon arrival at the fuel pump I inspected the tail and found only the tie down to be loose. Then 3 FAA inspectors greeted my student and I and said, 'are uou aware that a loose tail tie down is considered primary structural damage?' and then they proceeded to ramp check my student and I. Immediately following we pushed the aircraft back and tied it down. In my professional opinion the condition of the tie down did not affect the structural integrity of the aircraft and was airworthy for flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIMARY TRAINING FLT CONDUCTED ALTHOUGH ACFT HAD A LOOSE TAIL TIEDOWN FITTING AND HAD BEEN CRITISIZED FOR SUCH BY FAA LINE CHECK INSPECTOR.

Narrative: MY STUDENT PREFLTED THE ACFT IN PREPARATION FOR A TRNING FLT. WHILE THE STUDENT WAS PREFLTING THE FAA WAS OUT ON THE LINE INSPECTING ACFT. PRIOR TO THE FLT MY STUDENT AND I DISCUSSED THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT, AND FOUND IT MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR FLT. AFTER START AND PRIOR TO TAXI AN FAA INSPECTOR STOPPED THE ACFT. HE CAME UP TO THE WINDOW AND SAID, 'RIVETS ARE MISSING AND THE SKIN IS PEELING OFF.' IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO MY STUDENT AND ASKED IF HE HAD SEEN ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TAIL OF THE ACFT. HE REPLIED, NO RIVETS ARE MISSING, NO RIVETS ARE LOOSE, THE SKIN IS NOT PEELING, IT'S FINE. THE TIE DOWN IS LOOSE, ONLY LOOSE. WITH NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE FAA INSPECTOR WE STARTED TO TAXI. AFTER A NORMAL TRNING FLT, AND UPON ARR AT THE FUEL PUMP I INSPECTED THE TAIL AND FOUND ONLY THE TIE DOWN TO BE LOOSE. THEN 3 FAA INSPECTORS GREETED MY STUDENT AND I AND SAID, 'ARE UOU AWARE THAT A LOOSE TAIL TIE DOWN IS CONSIDERED PRIMARY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE?' AND THEN THEY PROCEEDED TO RAMP CHK MY STUDENT AND I. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING WE PUSHED THE ACFT BACK AND TIED IT DOWN. IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION THE CONDITION OF THE TIE DOWN DID NOT AFFECT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE ACFT AND WAS AIRWORTHY FOR FLT.

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.

Primary training flight conducted although aircraft had a loose tail tiedown fitting and had been critisized for such by FAA line check inspector.