Aircraft maintenance discrepancy not being adjusted by FBO operator.

Attributes
ACN	302008
Time
Date	199504
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lgb
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 300
ASRS Report	302008
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel oversight : supervisor
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 : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Rental aircraft (piper arrow) from FBO long beach, ca, proved to have an intermittent or fully inoperative transponder on 4 separate flts beginning mar/aa/94, mar/bb/95, mar/cc/95 and finally on apr/dd/95. In each incident I reported the problem to the owner of the FBO and his response was either 'it is working fine for everyone else' or in the most recent incident 'it worked fine when I flew it.' in each incident I either wrote a squawk or verbally reported to the owner. Before flying the aircraft after the first incident, I asked the owner if the transponder was in working order and he responded that it was working. I continued to ask the status of the transponder before each rental and he continued to respond as quoted above. After the last flight I implored him to have the transponder checked and repaired. His reaction was 'you should go fly with some other FBO.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT MAINT DISCREPANCY NOT BEING ADJUSTED BY FBO OPERATOR.

Narrative: RENTAL ACFT (PIPER ARROW) FROM FBO LONG BEACH, CA, PROVED TO HAVE AN INTERMITTENT OR FULLY INOP XPONDER ON 4 SEPARATE FLTS BEGINNING MAR/AA/94, MAR/BB/95, MAR/CC/95 AND FINALLY ON APR/DD/95. IN EACH INCIDENT I RPTED THE PROB TO THE OWNER OF THE FBO AND HIS RESPONSE WAS EITHER 'IT IS WORKING FINE FOR EVERYONE ELSE' OR IN THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT 'IT WORKED FINE WHEN I FLEW IT.' IN EACH INCIDENT I EITHER WROTE A SQUAWK OR VERBALLY RPTED TO THE OWNER. BEFORE FLYING THE ACFT AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I ASKED THE OWNER IF THE XPONDER WAS IN WORKING ORDER AND HE RESPONDED THAT IT WAS WORKING. I CONTINUED TO ASK THE STATUS OF THE XPONDER BEFORE EACH RENTAL AND HE CONTINUED TO RESPOND AS QUOTED ABOVE. AFTER THE LAST FLT I IMPLORED HIM TO HAVE THE XPONDER CHKED AND REPAIRED. HIS REACTION WAS 'YOU SHOULD GO FLY WITH SOME OTHER FBO.'

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.