Narrative:

On may/xa/95, after shutdown, I found a small piece of metal on the top of a main rotor blade had torn. I called our company maintenance and informed them as to what I had found. A mechanic was sent out to the platform. He inspected the blade, smoothed out the torn area and taped the blade to prevent any further problems. Neither I nor the mechanic felt the airworthiness of the aircraft had been compromised in any way. The aircraft was flown to grand isle. After being seen by the lead mechanic in grand isle and some discussion with our base in intracoastal city louisiana, I was told to fly the aircraft to intracoastal city. After arriving in intracoastal city, the mechanics replaced the blade. After running the aircraft several times and attempting to balance the new blade it became apparent that this blade would not balance. The original blade was replaced and the aircraft returned to grand isle. The next day a different blade was sent to grand isle, the aircraft tracked and balanced and returned to service. Even though the airworthiness of the aircraft was never in question, I should have asked the mechanics to place statements of the work they performed in the logbook. This I did not do and I sincerely regret this omission. I now realize how important it is to have each maintenance procedure documented.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A POSSIBLE REQUIREMENT FOR A FERRY PERMIT EXISTED FOR A FLT OR SERIES OF FLTS ACCOMPLISHED WITH A TEMPORARY REPAIR ON A MAIN ROTOR BLADE.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/95, AFTER SHUTDOWN, I FOUND A SMALL PIECE OF METAL ON THE TOP OF A MAIN ROTOR BLADE HAD TORN. I CALLED OUR COMPANY MAINT AND INFORMED THEM AS TO WHAT I HAD FOUND. A MECH WAS SENT OUT TO THE PLATFORM. HE INSPECTED THE BLADE, SMOOTHED OUT THE TORN AREA AND TAPED THE BLADE TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER PROBS. NEITHER I NOR THE MECH FELT THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT HAD BEEN COMPROMISED IN ANY WAY. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN TO GRAND ISLE. AFTER BEING SEEN BY THE LEAD MECH IN GRAND ISLE AND SOME DISCUSSION WITH OUR BASE IN INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA, I WAS TOLD TO FLY THE ACFT TO INTRACOASTAL CITY. AFTER ARRIVING IN INTRACOASTAL CITY, THE MECHS REPLACED THE BLADE. AFTER RUNNING THE ACFT SEVERAL TIMES AND ATTEMPTING TO BALANCE THE NEW BLADE IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THIS BLADE WOULD NOT BALANCE. THE ORIGINAL BLADE WAS REPLACED AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO GRAND ISLE. THE NEXT DAY A DIFFERENT BLADE WAS SENT TO GRAND ISLE, THE ACFT TRACKED AND BALANCED AND RETURNED TO SVC. EVEN THOUGH THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT WAS NEVER IN QUESTION, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE MECHS TO PLACE STATEMENTS OF THE WORK THEY PERFORMED IN THE LOGBOOK. THIS I DID NOT DO AND I SINCERELY REGRET THIS OMISSION. I NOW REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE EACH MAINT PROC DOCUMENTED.

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.