Narrative:

Aircraft was being used during a training private pilot stage check. The chkout procedures for obtaining keys to the aircraft at the flying club involves accessing through a computer setup. The computer after checking pilot currency, aircraft grounding status and weight and center of gravity status provides you with the combination to the locks in which keys to the rental aircraft are kept. The computer printout at this time lets you know when the next 100 hour inspection as well as the next annual is due. It normally doesn't let you have access to the keys if the 'annual' inspection period is exceeded. During a check of the form it was not noticed that the annual had indeed expired and the aircraft should have been grounded. Normally, the computer would not have let you accessed the keys if the annual expired. In addition, logbooks are locked up due to a theft of logbooks on another aircraft in the training fleet, so a logbook check before flight was not routine. A further factor which may explain the computer's failure to prevent accessing the keys to the aircraft is that several months previously a disgruntled member or employee of the flying club sabotaged the computer software, which is still gradually being corrected. Although security looked into the sabotaging of the computer, as well as the theft of the logbooks, no one was charged with these actions. In spite of the mitigating circumstances above we will be exercising a more careful inspection of available documentation and the use of status boards to diminish the likelihood of a recurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA SEL TRAINING ACFT WAS OPERATED OUT OF ANNUAL INSPECTION.

Narrative: ACFT WAS BEING USED DURING A TRAINING PVT PLT STAGE CHK. THE CHKOUT PROCS FOR OBTAINING KEYS TO THE ACFT AT THE FLYING CLUB INVOLVES ACCESSING THROUGH A COMPUTER SETUP. THE COMPUTER AFTER CHKING PLT CURRENCY, ACFT GNDING STATUS AND WT AND CTR OF GRAVITY STATUS PROVIDES YOU WITH THE COMBINATION TO THE LOCKS IN WHICH KEYS TO THE RENTAL ACFT ARE KEPT. THE COMPUTER PRINTOUT AT THIS TIME LETS YOU KNOW WHEN THE NEXT 100 HR INSPECTION AS WELL AS THE NEXT ANNUAL IS DUE. IT NORMALLY DOESN'T LET YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE KEYS IF THE 'ANNUAL' INSPECTION PERIOD IS EXCEEDED. DURING A CHK OF THE FORM IT WAS NOT NOTICED THAT THE ANNUAL HAD INDEED EXPIRED AND THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GNDED. NORMALLY, THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT HAVE LET YOU ACCESSED THE KEYS IF THE ANNUAL EXPIRED. IN ADDITION, LOGBOOKS ARE LOCKED UP DUE TO A THEFT OF LOGBOOKS ON ANOTHER ACFT IN THE TRAINING FLEET, SO A LOGBOOK CHK BEFORE FLT WAS NOT ROUTINE. A FURTHER FACTOR WHICH MAY EXPLAIN THE COMPUTER'S FAILURE TO PREVENT ACCESSING THE KEYS TO THE ACFT IS THAT SEVERAL MONTHS PREVIOUSLY A DISGRUNTLED MEMBER OR EMPLOYEE OF THE FLYING CLUB SABOTAGED THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE, WHICH IS STILL GRADUALLY BEING CORRECTED. ALTHOUGH SECURITY LOOKED INTO THE SABOTAGING OF THE COMPUTER, AS WELL AS THE THEFT OF THE LOGBOOKS, NO ONE WAS CHARGED WITH THESE ACTIONS. IN SPITE OF THE MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES ABOVE WE WILL BE EXERCISING A MORE CAREFUL INSPECTION OF AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION AND THE USE OF STATUS BOARDS TO DIMINISH THE LIKELIHOOD OF A RECURRENCE.

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.