Pilot of an small transport private jet inadvertently operated the aircraft in an unairworthy condit...

Attributes
ACN	226242
Time
Date	199211
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fll
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 39000 msl bound upper : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	226242
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Called at my home and asked if I would take his place in delivering an small transport to wichita, ks, for (aviation corporation) of (company aircraft owner). Upon my arrival to (aviation company) facility (fxe) I found company ground personnel and carefully going over all the maintenance records and logbook that were available to us that morning since it just came out of major inspections. We found no open squawks with this paperwork so I continued my preflight with aircraft checklist. At the time, I was about to do the autoplt check, the copilot could not get the door closed. This distracted me and I helped close the door then continued with the checklist inadvertently skipping the autoplt and yaw dampener check. We then proceeded with the flight to wichita. Upon getting to our flight level I tried to engage the autoplt with no luck, it would not engage and we proceeded with our checklist and it still would not engage. We continued the flight to wichita and dropped it off at (FBO) and tried to make it to our airline flight back which we only had a few mins to make (which we ended up missing). We had no incidents in-flight and the aircraft handled very well. On nov/thu/92, in the afternoon, I found out from (company ground personnel) that there were signoffs missing or that we had missed and/or not properly made by maintenance and that the autoplt board was not even installed in the aircraft along with the yaw damper board, which I find hard to believe about the yaw damper because it seemed to be operational during the flight and the audio tone sounded when I disengaged with the master wheel switch. I did a little research on this aircraft through manufacturer and found that I would get the audio tone for disconnect for the yaw dampener even though it was not operating. I guess this shows me that one small transport is not like another small transport, and that I should get more familiar with each individual aircraft. Lack of preflight on my part.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT PRIVATE JET INADVERTENTLY OPERATED THE ACFT IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION DUE TO REQUIRED ACFT EQUIP INOP.

Narrative: CALLED AT MY HOME AND ASKED IF I WOULD TAKE HIS PLACE IN DELIVERING AN SMT TO WICHITA, KS, FOR (AVIATION CORPORATION) OF (COMPANY ACFT OWNER). UPON MY ARR TO (AVIATION COMPANY) FACILITY (FXE) I FOUND CGP AND CAREFULLY GOING OVER ALL THE MAINT RECORDS AND LOGBOOK THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO US THAT MORNING SINCE IT JUST CAME OUT OF MAJOR INSPECTIONS. WE FOUND NO OPEN SQUAWKS WITH THIS PAPERWORK SO I CONTINUED MY PREFLT WITH ACFT CHKLIST. AT THE TIME, I WAS ABOUT TO DO THE AUTOPLT CHK, THE COPLT COULD NOT GET THE DOOR CLOSED. THIS DISTRACTED ME AND I HELPED CLOSE THE DOOR THEN CONTINUED WITH THE CHKLIST INADVERTENTLY SKIPPING THE AUTOPLT AND YAW DAMPENER CHK. WE THEN PROCEEDED WITH THE FLT TO WICHITA. UPON GETTING TO OUR FLT LEVEL I TRIED TO ENGAGE THE AUTOPLT WITH NO LUCK, IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR CHKLIST AND IT STILL WOULD NOT ENGAGE. WE CONTINUED THE FLT TO WICHITA AND DROPPED IT OFF AT (FBO) AND TRIED TO MAKE IT TO OUR AIRLINE FLT BACK WHICH WE ONLY HAD A FEW MINS TO MAKE (WHICH WE ENDED UP MISSING). WE HAD NO INCIDENTS INFLT AND THE ACFT HANDLED VERY WELL. ON NOV/THU/92, IN THE AFTERNOON, I FOUND OUT FROM (CGP) THAT THERE WERE SIGNOFFS MISSING OR THAT WE HAD MISSED AND/OR NOT PROPERLY MADE BY MAINT AND THAT THE AUTOPLT BOARD WAS NOT EVEN INSTALLED IN THE ACFT ALONG WITH THE YAW DAMPER BOARD, WHICH I FIND HARD TO BELIEVE ABOUT THE YAW DAMPER BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO BE OPERATIONAL DURING THE FLT AND THE AUDIO TONE SOUNDED WHEN I DISENGAGED WITH THE MASTER WHEEL SWITCH. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THIS ACFT THROUGH MANUFACTURER AND FOUND THAT I WOULD GET THE AUDIO TONE FOR DISCONNECT FOR THE YAW DAMPENER EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT OPERATING. I GUESS THIS SHOWS ME THAT ONE SMT IS NOT LIKE ANOTHER SMT, AND THAT I SHOULD GET MORE FAMILIAR WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL ACFT. LACK OF PREFLT ON MY PART.

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.

Pilot of an small transport private jet inadvertently operated the aircraft in an unairworthy condition due to required aircraft equipment inoperative.