Instructor solos student with expired medical but current spi certificate.

Attributes
ACN	197320
Time
Date	199112
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 825
ASRS Report	197320
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I'm a current flight instructor with instrument and multi-engine instructor ratings. A private pilot student of mine went to take his private chkride and found out his medical was not a medical, but a student pilot certificate. I had failed to notice that it was only a student, not a medical certificate. I allowed him to fly solo without a current medical. (His medical expired 7 months earlier.) I feel my error was caused by the similarity of the medical/student certificate to the student pilot certificate. They are nearly identical in color, layout, size. My recommendation is to design 2 different certificates that cannot be misidented so easily, thus preventing this to occur in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR SOLOS STUDENT WITH EXPIRED MEDICAL BUT CURRENT SPI CERTIFICATE.

Narrative: I'M A CURRENT FLT INSTRUCTOR WITH INST AND MULTI-ENG INSTRUCTOR RATINGS. A PRIVATE PLT STUDENT OF MINE WENT TO TAKE HIS PRIVATE CHKRIDE AND FOUND OUT HIS MEDICAL WAS NOT A MEDICAL, BUT A STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE. I HAD FAILED TO NOTICE THAT IT WAS ONLY A STUDENT, NOT A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. I ALLOWED HIM TO FLY SOLO WITHOUT A CURRENT MEDICAL. (HIS MEDICAL EXPIRED 7 MONTHS EARLIER.) I FEEL MY ERROR WAS CAUSED BY THE SIMILARITY OF THE MEDICAL/STUDENT CERTIFICATE TO THE STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE. THEY ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL IN COLOR, LAYOUT, SIZE. MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO DESIGN 2 DIFFERENT CERTIFICATES THAT CANNOT BE MISIDENTED SO EASILY, THUS PREVENTING THIS TO OCCUR IN THE FUTURE.

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.