Flight crew of light transport operated the aircraft with a damaged aileron trim tab.

Attributes
ACN	282594
Time
Date	199409
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : syr
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer observation : company check pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 276 flight time total : 9400 flight time type : 276
ASRS Report	282594
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was conducting IOE on a new captain. I was making a through station walk around of the aircraft when I noticed an approximately 4 inch scratch on the left aileron trim. I notified the captain and after discussion with him I called system control maintenance. After identing myself.I described the scratch to him and informed him that we had run the aileron trim to full detent (either direction) and detected no problem. With that we were good to go (no company maintenance was available, only contract). We returned to cle where our maintenance looked at it and said it was okay as well. I informed the crew servicing the aircraft of my actions and left. I was later told that a dead heading crew member pressured the captain into writing it up and our inspection people grounded the aircraft and replaced the entire aileron. Who is right here? I followed procedure yet was told by a chief pilot that I may have been flying an unairworthy aircraft. Can we not believe maintenance or not. Extremely frustrated airman!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LTT OPERATED THE ACFT WITH A DAMAGED AILERON TRIM TAB.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING IOE ON A NEW CAPT. I WAS MAKING A THROUGH STATION WALK AROUND OF THE ACFT WHEN I NOTICED AN APPROX 4 INCH SCRATCH ON THE L AILERON TRIM. I NOTIFIED THE CAPT AND AFTER DISCUSSION WITH HIM I CALLED SYS CTL MAINT. AFTER IDENTING MYSELF.I DESCRIBED THE SCRATCH TO HIM AND INFORMED HIM THAT WE HAD RUN THE AILERON TRIM TO FULL DETENT (EITHER DIRECTION) AND DETECTED NO PROB. WITH THAT WE WERE GOOD TO GO (NO COMPANY MAINT WAS AVAILABLE, ONLY CONTRACT). WE RETURNED TO CLE WHERE OUR MAINT LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT WAS OKAY AS WELL. I INFORMED THE CREW SVCING THE ACFT OF MY ACTIONS AND LEFT. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT A DEAD HDG CREW MEMBER PRESSURED THE CAPT INTO WRITING IT UP AND OUR INSPECTION PEOPLE GNDED THE ACFT AND REPLACED THE ENTIRE AILERON. WHO IS RIGHT HERE? I FOLLOWED PROC YET WAS TOLD BY A CHIEF PLT THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN FLYING AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT. CAN WE NOT BELIEVE MAINT OR NOT. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED AIRMAN!

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.