Narrative:

Recently, I was checked out to fly PIC for a local sport parachute school. When I was being checked out, I did not personally review the aircraft logbooks which were at a different location. I was told they were in order. I was told that the bar welded onto the fuselage was legal even though I did not verify the modification form. Later, after a few weekends of flying the modified cherokee 6 with the cargo door off, a student jumper hooked up on a static line began to get into position on the bar. (The bar was welded and bolted just aft of the left wing.) the student jumper put one hand on the bar and swung out to hang from the bar. Instead of grasping the bar with her left hand, she slipped from the bar altogether. Her parachute deployed nicely and the jump master considered it a 'good chute.' after I landed, I was informed that the first student had initially unstowed the chute controls and had responded to the directions of the drop zone controller. The wind turned her downwind and she did not respond to any of the commands of the drop zone official. Because of not controling her chute and going downwind and because she did not flare, she landed quite hard in a shallow ditch. She broke her left femur and dislocated her left ankle. However, after the accident, I became very interested in confirming the modification forms were in order in case the FAA decided to investigate or ramp inspect the airplane. I asked the owner again about the modification and this time, he said that the form was previously denied, but that somebody was 'taking care of it and it shouldn't be a problem.' that was the last time that I will fly an airplane which I cannot verify for airworthiness. I will not allow myself to fly a suspect airplane without personally verifying its complete airworthiness. I do not believe in any way that the modification affected the student's lack of performance. The bar is well braced and does not move with any normal or abnormal human forces. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that this airplane may not have been flown legally. As soon as I became aware of my ignorance, I ceased to fly that plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SKYDIVE ACFT IS CONCERNED REGARDING THE POSSIBLE ILLEGAL INSTALLATION OF A BAR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT. HE IS UNABLE TO REVIEW THE PAPERWORK AND IS LATER TOLD THAT THE FORM WAS DENIED. THIS OCCURRED AFTER A JUMPER WAS INJURED.

Narrative: RECENTLY, I WAS CHKED OUT TO FLY PIC FOR A LCL SPORT PARACHUTE SCHOOL. WHEN I WAS BEING CHKED OUT, I DID NOT PERSONALLY REVIEW THE ACFT LOGBOOKS WHICH WERE AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE IN ORDER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BAR WELDED ONTO THE FUSELAGE WAS LEGAL EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT VERIFY THE MODIFICATION FORM. LATER, AFTER A FEW WEEKENDS OF FLYING THE MODIFIED CHEROKEE 6 WITH THE CARGO DOOR OFF, A STUDENT JUMPER HOOKED UP ON A STATIC LINE BEGAN TO GET INTO POS ON THE BAR. (THE BAR WAS WELDED AND BOLTED JUST AFT OF THE L WING.) THE STUDENT JUMPER PUT ONE HAND ON THE BAR AND SWUNG OUT TO HANG FROM THE BAR. INSTEAD OF GRASPING THE BAR WITH HER L HAND, SHE SLIPPED FROM THE BAR ALTOGETHER. HER PARACHUTE DEPLOYED NICELY AND THE JUMP MASTER CONSIDERED IT A 'GOOD CHUTE.' AFTER I LANDED, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FIRST STUDENT HAD INITIALLY UNSTOWED THE CHUTE CTLS AND HAD RESPONDED TO THE DIRECTIONS OF THE DROP ZONE CTLR. THE WIND TURNED HER DOWNWIND AND SHE DID NOT RESPOND TO ANY OF THE COMMANDS OF THE DROP ZONE OFFICIAL. BECAUSE OF NOT CTLING HER CHUTE AND GOING DOWNWIND AND BECAUSE SHE DID NOT FLARE, SHE LANDED QUITE HARD IN A SHALLOW DITCH. SHE BROKE HER L FEMUR AND DISLOCATED HER L ANKLE. HOWEVER, AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I BECAME VERY INTERESTED IN CONFIRMING THE MODIFICATION FORMS WERE IN ORDER IN CASE THE FAA DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE OR RAMP INSPECT THE AIRPLANE. I ASKED THE OWNER AGAIN ABOUT THE MODIFICATION AND THIS TIME, HE SAID THAT THE FORM WAS PREVIOUSLY DENIED, BUT THAT SOMEBODY WAS 'TAKING CARE OF IT AND IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROB.' THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THAT I WILL FLY AN AIRPLANE WHICH I CANNOT VERIFY FOR AIRWORTHINESS. I WILL NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO FLY A SUSPECT AIRPLANE WITHOUT PERSONALLY VERIFYING ITS COMPLETE AIRWORTHINESS. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN ANY WAY THAT THE MODIFICATION AFFECTED THE STUDENT'S LACK OF PERFORMANCE. THE BAR IS WELL BRACED AND DOES NOT MOVE WITH ANY NORMAL OR ABNORMAL HUMAN FORCES. THE ONLY THING THAT BOTHERS ME IS THE FACT THAT THIS AIRPLANE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FLOWN LEGALLY. AS SOON AS I BECAME AWARE OF MY IGNORANCE, I CEASED TO FLY THAT PLANE.

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.