Narrative:

When I stopped to refuel, a flight instrument noticed a 'ding' in one of my aircraft's wings. The ding had, in fact, been there for most of the aircraft's life. The instrument did not feel that the ding affected the airworthiness of the craft, but suggested I have it 'looked at' elsewhere. At another airport, an instrument and retired mechanic looked at it and found 2 rivets had popped above the line of the ding. They had no riveting equipment available to replace the rivets, and said they thought the wing was structurally sound. I had examined the wing before, thoroughly, never noticing any missing rivets. I assumed this loss had occurred during the flight. To be on the safe side, I put 2 sheet metal screws in the rivet holes. I had previously, at the suggestion of other aircraft mechanics, replaced 'bleeding rivets' around the aircraft's cowling with sheet metal screws. I thought (and was not advised otherwise by the people with whom I spoke) that this action would be an appropriate temporary repair. I did not consider that I possibly was not qualified to make that decision. Although that problem was unrelated to the engine problem, it occurred on the same flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: no aircraft maintenance people were available at the field. Instrument pilot felt the aircraft was airworthy, but suggested using metal screws. FBO wanted to perform major inspection of the wing. Claims the dent had been in the wing for many yrs and other mechanics said it was no problem. FAA has pulled his pilot certificate for performing work on the aircraft he was not qualified to do. Also no information in the aircraft log book reference the damaged wing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER REPAIR USING METAL SCREWS TO REPLACE RIVETS IN THE WING. NON CERTIFIED MECHANIC.

Narrative: WHEN I STOPPED TO REFUEL, A FLT INSTR NOTICED A 'DING' IN ONE OF MY ACFT'S WINGS. THE DING HAD, IN FACT, BEEN THERE FOR MOST OF THE ACFT'S LIFE. THE INSTR DID NOT FEEL THAT THE DING AFFECTED THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE CRAFT, BUT SUGGESTED I HAVE IT 'LOOKED AT' ELSEWHERE. AT ANOTHER ARPT, AN INSTR AND RETIRED MECH LOOKED AT IT AND FOUND 2 RIVETS HAD POPPED ABOVE THE LINE OF THE DING. THEY HAD NO RIVETING EQUIP AVAILABLE TO REPLACE THE RIVETS, AND SAID THEY THOUGHT THE WING WAS STRUCTURALLY SOUND. I HAD EXAMINED THE WING BEFORE, THOROUGHLY, NEVER NOTICING ANY MISSING RIVETS. I ASSUMED THIS LOSS HAD OCCURRED DURING THE FLT. TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, I PUT 2 SHEET METAL SCREWS IN THE RIVET HOLES. I HAD PREVIOUSLY, AT THE SUGGESTION OF OTHER ACFT MECHS, REPLACED 'BLEEDING RIVETS' AROUND THE ACFT'S COWLING WITH SHEET METAL SCREWS. I THOUGHT (AND WAS NOT ADVISED OTHERWISE BY THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM I SPOKE) THAT THIS ACTION WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE TEMPORARY REPAIR. I DID NOT CONSIDER THAT I POSSIBLY WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO MAKE THAT DECISION. ALTHOUGH THAT PROB WAS UNRELATED TO THE ENG PROB, IT OCCURRED ON THE SAME FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: NO ACFT MAINT PEOPLE WERE AVAILABLE AT THE FIELD. INSTR PLT FELT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY, BUT SUGGESTED USING METAL SCREWS. FBO WANTED TO PERFORM MAJOR INSPECTION OF THE WING. CLAIMS THE DENT HAD BEEN IN THE WING FOR MANY YRS AND OTHER MECHS SAID IT WAS NO PROB. FAA HAS PULLED HIS PLT CERTIFICATE FOR PERFORMING WORK ON THE ACFT HE WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO DO. ALSO NO INFO IN THE ACFT LOG BOOK REF THE DAMAGED WING.

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.