Narrative:

On several flts, the latest being on apr/wed/92, I was giving instruction to a student pilot in his partner's small aircraft. After his solo flight on may/XXX/92, it was discovered that an FAA airworthiness directive had not been complied with in a timely manner. With further investigation, my student and I determined that the aircraft logs had been lost (or were being withheld by the person who sold his partner the airplane), and that we now had no reliable record to verify that any of the maintenance had been properly done or documented. The aircraft was subsequently grounded immediately. It will remain so until the records have been located and the records of maintenance properly documented for all ad's, annual inspection, etc. If these cannot be found, the aircraft will be re-annualed and all records/maintenance will have to be duplicated. Up to this point, the records were not readily available, and I was assured that all inspections and maintenance on the airplane had been done and properly documented. The airplane had been used for training and business flts up to now, and as PIC, I should have insisted to see the records sooner, which would have saved us all a lot of headache, not to mention risking flying an airplane that might be unairworthy. To our knowledge, the airplane is in an airworthy condition, but it is important as the PIC for me to verify this. Part of the problem for the records being lost or 'unavailable' for review lies with the mechanic who sold the airplane to my student's partner. There remains a disagreement on the quality of the aircraft with some necessary maintenance that had to be done to it after sale. It is believed that the mechanic is holding the records illegally in order to settle the dispute. Nevertheless, the lesson to be applied is that we, as PIC's must always verify the aircraft logs before flight to be sure that the aircraft maintenance has been properly done and documented in the aircraft records. I would consider this as an inadvertent oversight. No incidents (per say) or accidents have occurred, but it is important that, through our system, we stress the importance of checking the aircraft logs before flight to make sure everything has been done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT MAINT PROBLEM IN THAT ACFT LOGBOOK AND ACFT MAINT HISTORY MISSING.

Narrative: ON SEVERAL FLTS, THE LATEST BEING ON APR/WED/92, I WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT PLT IN HIS PARTNER'S SMA. AFTER HIS SOLO FLT ON MAY/XXX/92, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE HAD NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH IN A TIMELY MANNER. WITH FURTHER INVESTIGATION, MY STUDENT AND I DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT LOGS HAD BEEN LOST (OR WERE BEING WITHHELD BY THE PERSON WHO SOLD HIS PARTNER THE AIRPLANE), AND THAT WE NOW HAD NO RELIABLE RECORD TO VERIFY THAT ANY OF THE MAINT HAD BEEN PROPERLY DONE OR DOCUMENTED. THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY GNDED IMMEDIATELY. IT WILL REMAIN SO UNTIL THE RECORDS HAVE BEEN LOCATED AND THE RECORDS OF MAINT PROPERLY DOCUMENTED FOR ALL AD'S, ANNUAL INSPECTION, ETC. IF THESE CANNOT BE FOUND, THE ACFT WILL BE RE-ANNUALED AND ALL RECORDS/MAINT WILL HAVE TO BE DUPLICATED. UP TO THIS POINT, THE RECORDS WERE NOT READILY AVAILABLE, AND I WAS ASSURED THAT ALL INSPECTIONS AND MAINT ON THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DONE AND PROPERLY DOCUMENTED. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN USED FOR TRAINING AND BUSINESS FLTS UP TO NOW, AND AS PIC, I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED TO SEE THE RECORDS SOONER, WHICH WOULD HAVE SAVED US ALL A LOT OF HEADACHE, NOT TO MENTION RISKING FLYING AN AIRPLANE THAT MIGHT BE UNAIRWORTHY. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THE AIRPLANE IS IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT AS THE PIC FOR ME TO VERIFY THIS. PART OF THE PROBLEM FOR THE RECORDS BEING LOST OR 'UNAVAILABLE' FOR REVIEW LIES WITH THE MECH WHO SOLD THE AIRPLANE TO MY STUDENT'S PARTNER. THERE REMAINS A DISAGREEMENT ON THE QUALITY OF THE ACFT WITH SOME NECESSARY MAINT THAT HAD TO BE DONE TO IT AFTER SALE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE MECH IS HOLDING THE RECORDS ILLEGALLY IN ORDER TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE. NEVERTHELESS, THE LESSON TO BE APPLIED IS THAT WE, AS PIC'S MUST ALWAYS VERIFY THE ACFT LOGS BEFORE FLT TO BE SURE THAT THE ACFT MAINT HAS BEEN PROPERLY DONE AND DOCUMENTED IN THE ACFT RECORDS. I WOULD CONSIDER THIS AS AN INADVERTENT OVERSIGHT. NO INCIDENTS (PER SAY) OR ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT, THROUGH OUR SYS, WE STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF CHKING THE ACFT LOGS BEFORE FLT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE.

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.