Narrative:

The problem I want to report has to do with the owner/operator of a small flight school (2 small aircraft's). The owner has been gradually violating FARS regarding maintenance more and more to reduce costs. I have recently quit working as a flight instructor at this school since I realized all of the things that were going on. The school is flight school in texas. Owner violating rules if mr. Y. Here is a list of violations I am aware of: 1) he installed 2 swivel type hinges that connect the back of the yoke to the ailerons. On one of the hinges, there was no hold where the bolt connects it. He drilled the hole himself. He's not an a&P! 2) he installed a new vacuum pump and removed a magneto in the process. He didn't set the timing when he put the magneto back on. 3) in his IFR small aircraft, he installed most of the avionics himself. 4) he rarely logs any maintenance in the aircraft logbooks. 5) after another instructor almost had an engine failure, the owner took parts of the fuel system apart and put the plane back on line without an a&P looking at it. 6) he took a prospective student on an introductory flight after drinking champagne with a student who was celebrating getting his private license. 7) he flew his kids on numerous occasions from dallas to houston with one in the copilot's seat of an small aircraft and the other one sitting in the baggage area with no seatbelt. This guy thinks the FAA won't bother him since he's just running a small flight school. If something isn't done, someone is going to be killed. The bad part is that the students are trusting this guy to maintain the planes properly, and they have no idea that they are up in the air in a plane that is not being maintained by a certified mechanic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA FLT INSTRUCTOR, WHO HAS SINCE MOVED ON TO ANOTHER JOB, COMPLAINS ABOUT THE WAY HIS FORMER FLT SCHOOL OWNER OPERATED. ACFT MAINT.

Narrative: THE PROB I WANT TO RPT HAS TO DO WITH THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF A SMALL FLT SCHOOL (2 SMA'S). THE OWNER HAS BEEN GRADUALLY VIOLATING FARS REGARDING MAINT MORE AND MORE TO REDUCE COSTS. I HAVE RECENTLY QUIT WORKING AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR AT THIS SCHOOL SINCE I REALIZED ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON. THE SCHOOL IS FLT SCHOOL IN TEXAS. OWNER VIOLATING RULES IF MR. Y. HERE IS A LIST OF VIOLATIONS I AM AWARE OF: 1) HE INSTALLED 2 SWIVEL TYPE HINGES THAT CONNECT THE BACK OF THE YOKE TO THE AILERONS. ON ONE OF THE HINGES, THERE WAS NO HOLD WHERE THE BOLT CONNECTS IT. HE DRILLED THE HOLE HIMSELF. HE'S NOT AN A&P! 2) HE INSTALLED A NEW VACUUM PUMP AND REMOVED A MAGNETO IN THE PROCESS. HE DIDN'T SET THE TIMING WHEN HE PUT THE MAGNETO BACK ON. 3) IN HIS IFR SMA, HE INSTALLED MOST OF THE AVIONICS HIMSELF. 4) HE RARELY LOGS ANY MAINT IN THE ACFT LOGBOOKS. 5) AFTER ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR ALMOST HAD AN ENG FAILURE, THE OWNER TOOK PARTS OF THE FUEL SYS APART AND PUT THE PLANE BACK ON LINE WITHOUT AN A&P LOOKING AT IT. 6) HE TOOK A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT ON AN INTRODUCTORY FLT AFTER DRINKING CHAMPAGNE WITH A STUDENT WHO WAS CELEBRATING GETTING HIS PRIVATE LICENSE. 7) HE FLEW HIS KIDS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS FROM DALLAS TO HOUSTON WITH ONE IN THE COPLT'S SEAT OF AN SMA AND THE OTHER ONE SITTING IN THE BAGGAGE AREA WITH NO SEATBELT. THIS GUY THINKS THE FAA WON'T BOTHER HIM SINCE HE'S JUST RUNNING A SMALL FLT SCHOOL. IF SOMETHING ISN'T DONE, SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED. THE BAD PART IS THAT THE STUDENTS ARE TRUSTING THIS GUY TO MAINTAIN THE PLANES PROPERLY, AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA THAT THEY ARE UP IN THE AIR IN A PLANE THAT IS NOT BEING MAINTAINED BY A CERTIFIED MECH.

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.