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Renter pilot of an small aircraft sel aircraft refused to fly the aircraft back to home base due to a low main landing gear strut.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 251267 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199309 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : apf |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 1035 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 251267 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot other personnel other |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On sep/sun/93 a renter pilot called and the call was taken by a full time instructor. The renter said that he was in naples, fl (approximately 1 hour away) and that a strut was low on one side and would not fly it. Later found out that the renter had his license for 5 weeks. The full time instructor contacted the wkend full time instructor in charge. This instructor asked me to go with one of our line men (who is a pilot) in another plane and bring back the renter in the 2ND aircraft and I should fly the renter plane back. On preflting the plane I was to bring back I found left strut very high and right strut low. Plane was flown back to boca without a problem. This new pilot felt I did wrong and notified the local fort lauderdale district office of the FAA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the FAA did follow up with an investigation but found that the aircraft was not unairworthy. The reporter further stated that the renter pilot did not seem to want to learn from this experience and fly the aircraft back to base for further experience. It appeared that the renter pilot did not want to have further charges for aircraft rental! Company maintenance did put more air in the low strut for recommended strut inflation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RENTER PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT REFUSED TO FLY THE ACFT BACK TO HOME BASE DUE TO A LOW MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUT.
Narrative: ON SEP/SUN/93 A RENTER PLT CALLED AND THE CALL WAS TAKEN BY A FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR. THE RENTER SAID THAT HE WAS IN NAPLES, FL (APPROX 1 HR AWAY) AND THAT A STRUT WAS LOW ON ONE SIDE AND WOULD NOT FLY IT. LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE RENTER HAD HIS LICENSE FOR 5 WKS. THE FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR CONTACTED THE WKEND FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR IN CHARGE. THIS INSTRUCTOR ASKED ME TO GO WITH ONE OF OUR LINE MEN (WHO IS A PLT) IN ANOTHER PLANE AND BRING BACK THE RENTER IN THE 2ND ACFT AND I SHOULD FLY THE RENTER PLANE BACK. ON PREFLTING THE PLANE I WAS TO BRING BACK I FOUND L STRUT VERY HIGH AND R STRUT LOW. PLANE WAS FLOWN BACK TO BOCA WITHOUT A PROB. THIS NEW PLT FELT I DID WRONG AND NOTIFIED THE LCL FORT LAUDERDALE DISTRICT OFFICE OF THE FAA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA DID FOLLOW UP WITH AN INVESTIGATION BUT FOUND THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT UNAIRWORTHY. THE RPTR FURTHER STATED THAT THE RENTER PLT DID NOT SEEM TO WANT TO LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND FLY THE ACFT BACK TO BASE FOR FURTHER EXPERIENCE. IT APPEARED THAT THE RENTER PLT DID NOT WANT TO HAVE FURTHER CHARGES FOR ACFT RENTAL! COMPANY MAINT DID PUT MORE AIR IN THE LOW STRUT FOR RECOMMENDED STRUT INFLATION.
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.