Narrative:

I work for an aircraft manufacturer. As part of my responsibilities, I am required to test fly aircraft in the field for stall characteristics and stall speeds after they have had maintenance work done to the aircraft wing or stall warning system. On this date, I arrived at the maintenance facility, the maintenance personnel advised me that the aircraft was ready for the test flight, I conducted a standard preflight inspection, then conducted the stall test flight. A pilot from the maintenance facility served as copilot. 1 week later, I was contacted by an FAA FSDO inspector who advised me that he had been reviewing records at the maintenance facility and found a discrepancy. He advised me that the maintenance release form had not been signed by the maintenance personnel after the maintenance had been performed on the aircraft, and therefore, I had flown the aircraft in an unairworthy condition. Since I am required to fly aircraft at many different maintenance facilities throughout the united states, I am not aware of the individual maintenance release procedures at each facility. I still do not understand how a pilot is expected to know all maintenance functions and supervise that maintenance personnel adequately fill out all the required paperwork, particularly when the paperwork is internal to the maintenance facility and is not part of the aircraft maintenance logbooks. In the future, I will be sure to demand to see the signed maintenance release whenever I fly out of this maintenance facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEST PLT CONDUCTED TEST FLT OF AN LTT JET ACFT THAT HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF AFTER MAINT FOR FLT.

Narrative: I WORK FOR AN ACFT MANUFACTURER. AS PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES, I AM REQUIRED TO TEST FLY ACFT IN THE FIELD FOR STALL CHARACTERISTICS AND STALL SPDS AFTER THEY HAVE HAD MAINT WORK DONE TO THE ACFT WING OR STALL WARNING SYS. ON THIS DATE, I ARRIVED AT THE MAINT FACILITY, THE MAINT PERSONNEL ADVISED ME THAT THE ACFT WAS READY FOR THE TEST FLT, I CONDUCTED A STANDARD PREFLT INSPECTION, THEN CONDUCTED THE STALL TEST FLT. A PLT FROM THE MAINT FACILITY SERVED AS COPLT. 1 WK LATER, I WAS CONTACTED BY AN FAA FSDO INSPECTOR WHO ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD BEEN REVIEWING RECORDS AT THE MAINT FACILITY AND FOUND A DISCREPANCY. HE ADVISED ME THAT THE MAINT RELEASE FORM HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED BY THE MAINT PERSONNEL AFTER THE MAINT HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE ACFT, AND THEREFORE, I HAD FLOWN THE ACFT IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION. SINCE I AM REQUIRED TO FLY ACFT AT MANY DIFFERENT MAINT FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, I AM NOT AWARE OF THE INDIVIDUAL MAINT RELEASE PROCS AT EACH FACILITY. I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A PLT IS EXPECTED TO KNOW ALL MAINT FUNCTIONS AND SUPERVISE THAT MAINT PERSONNEL ADEQUATELY FILL OUT ALL THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE PAPERWORK IS INTERNAL TO THE MAINT FACILITY AND IS NOT PART OF THE ACFT MAINT LOGBOOKS. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE SURE TO DEMAND TO SEE THE SIGNED MAINT RELEASE WHENEVER I FLY OUT OF THIS MAINT FACILITY.

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.