Narrative:

I worked on an aircraft, a seneca III, which the pilot had not provided the logbooks prior to starting work. Upon completion of my work, I left the log entry, a form, a newly completed weight and balance, and a note to the customer in my mail box at the FBO. The customer picked up the plane, and instead of picking up the items I had left for him, he simply left his logbook in my mail box. Apparently he thought that the logs would be ok with me for a couple of days, until he could come back to me to have me do some more work on his aircraft. Unfortunately, the aircraft was involved in an accident, and he was not carrying his current weight and balance on board. The accident was not related in any way to whether or not the paperwork was on board the aircraft, as the entries had all been made, but nonetheless, the paperwork came under scrutiny, and I feel that the airworthiness inspector assigned to me is having a knee jerk reaction and is thinking that because the 'stick in entries' were not in the logs themselves, that I had not met the requirements of part 43. In other words, because I had not physically inserted the entries into the book. But it is common practice, and acceptable for a pilot to pick up an aircraft and take with him a stick in log entry, rather than bringing in the books.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 SENECA WAS OPERATED WITHOUT LOGBOOK AND CURRENT REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, FORM 337 AND WT AND BAL.

Narrative: I WORKED ON AN ACFT, A SENECA III, WHICH THE PLT HAD NOT PROVIDED THE LOGBOOKS PRIOR TO STARTING WORK. UPON COMPLETION OF MY WORK, I LEFT THE LOG ENTRY, A FORM, A NEWLY COMPLETED WT AND BAL, AND A NOTE TO THE CUSTOMER IN MY MAIL BOX AT THE FBO. THE CUSTOMER PICKED UP THE PLANE, AND INSTEAD OF PICKING UP THE ITEMS I HAD LEFT FOR HIM, HE SIMPLY LEFT HIS LOGBOOK IN MY MAIL BOX. APPARENTLY HE THOUGHT THAT THE LOGS WOULD BE OK WITH ME FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, UNTIL HE COULD COME BACK TO ME TO HAVE ME DO SOME MORE WORK ON HIS ACFT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND HE WAS NOT CARRYING HIS CURRENT WT AND BAL ON BOARD. THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT RELATED IN ANY WAY TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PAPERWORK WAS ON BOARD THE ACFT, AS THE ENTRIES HAD ALL BEEN MADE, BUT NONETHELESS, THE PAPERWORK CAME UNDER SCRUTINY, AND I FEEL THAT THE AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR ASSIGNED TO ME IS HAVING A KNEE JERK REACTION AND IS THINKING THAT BECAUSE THE 'STICK IN ENTRIES' WERE NOT IN THE LOGS THEMSELVES, THAT I HAD NOT MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF PART 43. IN OTHER WORDS, BECAUSE I HAD NOT PHYSICALLY INSERTED THE ENTRIES INTO THE BOOK. BUT IT IS COMMON PRACTICE, AND ACCEPTABLE FOR A PLT TO PICK UP AN ACFT AND TAKE WITH HIM A STICK IN LOG ENTRY, RATHER THAN BRINGING IN THE BOOKS.

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.