Narrative:

The company has a preventive maintenance program that includes periodic inspections at certain time intervals. We have a required inspection every 5 days and a 3 day or 72-hour inspection within each 5 day inspection. The inspections are signed off in the aircraft logbook. There is also a 50 flight hour requirement between inspections, which can be exceeded per the company maintenance manual. (I was not completely aware of the 50 hour requirement). It is the captain's responsibility to check the logbook prior to flight to make sure all these requirements are met. During one of our usual quick 20 min turns and crew change the captain helped speed things along by splitting up preflight duties. I preflted the exterior and cabin while the captain checked the cockpit and logbooks. I returned and preflted my items in the cockpit anyway. We boarded up the passenger and departed. The captain checked the logbook and the aircraft was within the 5 day (72 hour) inspections, but due to sloppy recording of numbers and short ground time, the captain apparently mis-added a number and so the aircraft had apparently exceeded the 50 hour inspection requirement prior to the flight. I feel the maintenance department should have double-checked their recording and tracking procedures. The sloppy or mistaken recording of numbers led to this, as did the quick turns. Anyone can make a slight addition mistake, either prior to the trip, at the time or down the line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A BA31 OPERATED OVER ONE OF THE COMPANY INSPECTION INTERVALS DUE TO MISREADING THE TIMES SHOWN IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK.

Narrative: THE COMPANY HAS A PREVENTIVE MAINT PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES PERIODIC INSPECTIONS AT CERTAIN TIME INTERVALS. WE HAVE A REQUIRED INSPECTION EVERY 5 DAYS AND A 3 DAY OR 72-HR INSPECTION WITHIN EACH 5 DAY INSPECTION. THE INSPECTIONS ARE SIGNED OFF IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. THERE IS ALSO A 50 FLT HR REQUIREMENT BTWN INSPECTIONS, WHICH CAN BE EXCEEDED PER THE COMPANY MAINT MANUAL. (I WAS NOT COMPLETELY AWARE OF THE 50 HR REQUIREMENT). IT IS THE CAPT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CHK THE LOGBOOK PRIOR TO FLT TO MAKE SURE ALL THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET. DURING ONE OF OUR USUAL QUICK 20 MIN TURNS AND CREW CHANGE THE CAPT HELPED SPD THINGS ALONG BY SPLITTING UP PREFLT DUTIES. I PREFLTED THE EXTERIOR AND CABIN WHILE THE CAPT CHKED THE COCKPIT AND LOGBOOKS. I RETURNED AND PREFLTED MY ITEMS IN THE COCKPIT ANYWAY. WE BOARDED UP THE PAX AND DEPARTED. THE CAPT CHKED THE LOGBOOK AND THE ACFT WAS WITHIN THE 5 DAY (72 HR) INSPECTIONS, BUT DUE TO SLOPPY RECORDING OF NUMBERS AND SHORT GND TIME, THE CAPT APPARENTLY MIS-ADDED A NUMBER AND SO THE ACFT HAD APPARENTLY EXCEEDED THE 50 HR INSPECTION REQUIREMENT PRIOR TO THE FLT. I FEEL THE MAINT DEPT SHOULD HAVE DOUBLE-CHKED THEIR RECORDING AND TRACKING PROCS. THE SLOPPY OR MISTAKEN RECORDING OF NUMBERS LED TO THIS, AS DID THE QUICK TURNS. ANYONE CAN MAKE A SLIGHT ADDITION MISTAKE, EITHER PRIOR TO THE TRIP, AT THE TIME OR DOWN THE LINE.

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.