Narrative:

I am filing this NASA report to describe how I was misled by my company into believing I was flying an airworthy aircraft. The helicopter I flew was a ZZZ helicopter. The may/xx/94 maintenance forecast printout from the main office indicated to the flight and maintenance departments here at our base, that (among others) the following inspections were coming due that month. 600 hour inspection (transmission). Slide guide replacement. Later that month our base maintenance office were informed by phone, by the main office, that these items had been extended by the FAA. Our logbooks were then updated to reflect this change, by our base mechanics. On may/xx/94 we flew past the original replacement time for the slide glide, and were informed in june by the main office, by phone, that an extension for this component never had been granted. The part was immediately replaced, but today the chief pilot reminded me that on may/xx/94, may/xx/94, and june/xx/94, I made flts in that aircraft in violation of maintenance inspection requirements. Flts: 5/a 3 patient retrieval flts from and back to X, a total of 2.6 hours of flight time. 5/B 2 patient retrieval flts from and back to X a total of 2.8 hours of flight time, and 1 far 135 instrument check-ride with our company check airman, with a total of 1.0 hours of flight time. 6/C 3 patient retrieval flts from, and back to X total flight time: 3.2 hours, and 1 ferry flight of 1.0 hour from X to Y and back. I am not sure how this error came about at the main office, but the FAA is looking into it now. The maintenance department here released, and the flight department here at our base flew the helicopter, in good faith, thinking that this was an airworthy aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI OP DEFERS MAINT BELIEVING THAT TIME WAS EXTENDED. IT WAS NOT.

Narrative: I AM FILING THIS NASA RPT TO DESCRIBE HOW I WAS MISLED BY MY COMPANY INTO BELIEVING I WAS FLYING AN AIRWORTHY ACFT. THE HELI I FLEW WAS A ZZZ HELI. THE MAY/XX/94 MAINT FORECAST PRINTOUT FROM THE MAIN OFFICE INDICATED TO THE FLT AND MAINT DEPTS HERE AT OUR BASE, THAT (AMONG OTHERS) THE FOLLOWING INSPECTIONS WERE COMING DUE THAT MONTH. 600 HR INSPECTION (XMISSION). SLIDE GUIDE REPLACEMENT. LATER THAT MONTH OUR BASE MAINT OFFICE WERE INFORMED BY PHONE, BY THE MAIN OFFICE, THAT THESE ITEMS HAD BEEN EXTENDED BY THE FAA. OUR LOGBOOKS WERE THEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS CHANGE, BY OUR BASE MECHS. ON MAY/XX/94 WE FLEW PAST THE ORIGINAL REPLACEMENT TIME FOR THE SLIDE GLIDE, AND WERE INFORMED IN JUNE BY THE MAIN OFFICE, BY PHONE, THAT AN EXTENSION FOR THIS COMPONENT NEVER HAD BEEN GRANTED. THE PART WAS IMMEDIATELY REPLACED, BUT TODAY THE CHIEF PLT REMINDED ME THAT ON MAY/XX/94, MAY/XX/94, AND JUNE/XX/94, I MADE FLTS IN THAT ACFT IN VIOLATION OF MAINT INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS. FLTS: 5/A 3 PATIENT RETRIEVAL FLTS FROM AND BACK TO X, A TOTAL OF 2.6 HRS OF FLT TIME. 5/B 2 PATIENT RETRIEVAL FLTS FROM AND BACK TO X A TOTAL OF 2.8 HRS OF FLT TIME, AND 1 FAR 135 INSTR CHK-RIDE WITH OUR COMPANY CHK AIRMAN, WITH A TOTAL OF 1.0 HRS OF FLT TIME. 6/C 3 PATIENT RETRIEVAL FLTS FROM, AND BACK TO X TOTAL FLT TIME: 3.2 HRS, AND 1 FERRY FLT OF 1.0 HR FROM X TO Y AND BACK. I AM NOT SURE HOW THIS ERROR CAME ABOUT AT THE MAIN OFFICE, BUT THE FAA IS LOOKING INTO IT NOW. THE MAINT DEPT HERE RELEASED, AND THE FLT DEPT HERE AT OUR BASE FLEW THE HELI, IN GOOD FAITH, THINKING THAT THIS WAS AN AIRWORTHY ACFT.

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.