Narrative:

Oct/xa/94 I took off from sky acres airport, ny, in a cessna 172. After about 10 mins of flight, the engine ran rough. The oil pressure was reading low, so I made a precautionary landing at stewart airport, ny. Metal was found in oil screen. I am having the engine disassembled to find cause. The aircraft had been at sky acres airport for approximately 2 yrs. It had a fresh annual when it arrived. I was told by the owner of the FBO that they were flying the airplane. In fact, we received landing fee bills in the mail indicating that the aircraft was being flown. The aircraft flight sheet indicated that the airplane had been flown over 60 hours since we left it. I also saw the airplane missing from the ramp a month prior indicating that it had indeed been flying. Also, the owner told me over the phone that early in sep/94 he had his own radios installed in the airplane (ours were stolen) so that they could continue flying the airplane. Upon removal of his radios, there was a yellow tag on it indicating that it (the radio) was overhauled in early sep/94 confirming that they must have been installed in sep/94. I decided to fly the aircraft out in oct/94 believing that the FBO (which is solely a maintenance facility) had kept the airplane in license because they were flying the aircraft. I contacted the FBO after the flight about our bill over the phone. They gave me a quite detailed list of what work they performed. Judging what they did not include in the bill leads me to suspect that I may have inadvertently flown the aircraft not in full compliance with the FARS. I am still waiting for a written bill at the writing of this report so there is still some uncertainty on my part. My big mistake was to assume that airplane was up-to-date as far as all the maintenance is concerned because of the indication listed above. The FBO may have performed only the work necessary to keep the aircraft flying for their own use, not in full compliance with work that they would do on someone else's plane that they would have to return. For example, they did not mention a charge for an oil change which would mean that they flew the airplane over 60 hours over 2 yrs without changing the oil which is unbelievable due to the fact that these people make their living as mechanics. This may have contributed to our engine problems. I have been flying for over 20 yrs, am an ex-air force pilot and airline pilot with a perfect record who would never intentionally break regulations or jeopardize the safety of flight. From now on, I will never assume or take the word of a third party in regard to any aspect of my flight operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN RESPONSE TO ROUGH RUNNING ENG.

Narrative: OCT/XA/94 I TOOK OFF FROM SKY ACRES ARPT, NY, IN A CESSNA 172. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS OF FLT, THE ENG RAN ROUGH. THE OIL PRESSURE WAS READING LOW, SO I MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT STEWART ARPT, NY. METAL WAS FOUND IN OIL SCREEN. I AM HAVING THE ENG DISASSEMBLED TO FIND CAUSE. THE ACFT HAD BEEN AT SKY ACRES ARPT FOR APPROX 2 YRS. IT HAD A FRESH ANNUAL WHEN IT ARRIVED. I WAS TOLD BY THE OWNER OF THE FBO THAT THEY WERE FLYING THE AIRPLANE. IN FACT, WE RECEIVED LNDG FEE BILLS IN THE MAIL INDICATING THAT THE ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN. THE ACFT FLT SHEET INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN OVER 60 HRS SINCE WE LEFT IT. I ALSO SAW THE AIRPLANE MISSING FROM THE RAMP A MONTH PRIOR INDICATING THAT IT HAD INDEED BEEN FLYING. ALSO, THE OWNER TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE THAT EARLY IN SEP/94 HE HAD HIS OWN RADIOS INSTALLED IN THE AIRPLANE (OURS WERE STOLEN) SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE FLYING THE AIRPLANE. UPON REMOVAL OF HIS RADIOS, THERE WAS A YELLOW TAG ON IT INDICATING THAT IT (THE RADIO) WAS OVERHAULED IN EARLY SEP/94 CONFIRMING THAT THEY MUST HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN SEP/94. I DECIDED TO FLY THE ACFT OUT IN OCT/94 BELIEVING THAT THE FBO (WHICH IS SOLELY A MAINT FACILITY) HAD KEPT THE AIRPLANE IN LICENSE BECAUSE THEY WERE FLYING THE ACFT. I CONTACTED THE FBO AFTER THE FLT ABOUT OUR BILL OVER THE PHONE. THEY GAVE ME A QUITE DETAILED LIST OF WHAT WORK THEY PERFORMED. JUDGING WHAT THEY DID NOT INCLUDE IN THE BILL LEADS ME TO SUSPECT THAT I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY FLOWN THE ACFT NOT IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE FARS. I AM STILL WAITING FOR A WRITTEN BILL AT THE WRITING OF THIS RPT SO THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY ON MY PART. MY BIG MISTAKE WAS TO ASSUME THAT AIRPLANE WAS UP-TO-DATE AS FAR AS ALL THE MAINT IS CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE INDICATION LISTED ABOVE. THE FBO MAY HAVE PERFORMED ONLY THE WORK NECESSARY TO KEEP THE ACFT FLYING FOR THEIR OWN USE, NOT IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH WORK THAT THEY WOULD DO ON SOMEONE ELSE'S PLANE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO RETURN. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY DID NOT MENTION A CHARGE FOR AN OIL CHANGE WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT THEY FLEW THE AIRPLANE OVER 60 HRS OVER 2 YRS WITHOUT CHANGING THE OIL WHICH IS UNBELIEVABLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THESE PEOPLE MAKE THEIR LIVING AS MECHS. THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR ENG PROBS. I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR OVER 20 YRS, AM AN EX-AIR FORCE PLT AND AIRLINE PLT WITH A PERFECT RECORD WHO WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY BREAK REGS OR JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF FLT. FROM NOW ON, I WILL NEVER ASSUME OR TAKE THE WORD OF A THIRD PARTY IN REGARD TO ANY ASPECT OF MY FLT OPS.

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.