Narrative:

About jan/xa/98, I was directed to fly a bell 206 B111 helicopter from my home base of xyz, us, to ZZZ, us. The reason for this flight was to replace a helicopter in part 135 operations for a broken rotor tachometer. In my helicopter was a brand new rotor tachometer gauge. The aircraft that was broken was removed from part 135 service. When I arrived in ZZZ, I was met by the pilot of the broken aircraft. In addition to the new rotor tachometer, I also ferried a pilot with me to take over the part 135 contract. The pilot of the broken aircraft was removed from the contract by direction of the owner of air carrier helicopters. ZZZ is a small base for my operator with no mechanic. The other pilot and I discussed what to do next. I called back to xyz and spoke with the chief pilot, who in turn talked with our director of maintenance. I was given the option to either fly the aircraft back to xyz or change the rotor tachometer. I asked the director of maintenance if I could change out the tachometer and was told that because I was under a mechanic's direction and that I was at a remote location, I could change the gauge out and bring the aircraft back to xyz where the work would be checked and the aircraft returned to service. I talked this over with the other pilot and we both came to the conclusion that this is probably ok given our situation. The other pilot and I changed out the tachometer which involved removing 2 cannon plugs and a couple of screws. I then flew the now normally operating aircraft back to xyz where it was inspected by a mechanic. I did not think anything else of the matter until 2 days ago when I heard that an FAA inspector was investigating a complaint issued by the pilot who was relieved. Apparently, according to the pilot, he was fired because he would not fly the aircraft with a broken rotor tachometer. I felt that I did not do anything wrong as I was directed to change the tachometer and how to change the tachometer and that the aircraft was flown immediately back to xyz.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BELL 206 B111 HELI HAD THE ROTOR TACHOMETER REPLACED BY A PLT NOT A LICENSED MECH AND THEN OPERATED.

Narrative: ABOUT JAN/XA/98, I WAS DIRECTED TO FLY A BELL 206 B111 HELI FROM MY HOME BASE OF XYZ, US, TO ZZZ, US. THE REASON FOR THIS FLT WAS TO REPLACE A HELI IN PART 135 OPS FOR A BROKEN ROTOR TACHOMETER. IN MY HELI WAS A BRAND NEW ROTOR TACHOMETER GAUGE. THE ACFT THAT WAS BROKEN WAS REMOVED FROM PART 135 SVC. WHEN I ARRIVED IN ZZZ, I WAS MET BY THE PLT OF THE BROKEN ACFT. IN ADDITION TO THE NEW ROTOR TACHOMETER, I ALSO FERRIED A PLT WITH ME TO TAKE OVER THE PART 135 CONTRACT. THE PLT OF THE BROKEN ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE CONTRACT BY DIRECTION OF THE OWNER OF ACR HELIS. ZZZ IS A SMALL BASE FOR MY OPERATOR WITH NO MECH. THE OTHER PLT AND I DISCUSSED WHAT TO DO NEXT. I CALLED BACK TO XYZ AND SPOKE WITH THE CHIEF PLT, WHO IN TURN TALKED WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT. I WAS GIVEN THE OPTION TO EITHER FLY THE ACFT BACK TO XYZ OR CHANGE THE ROTOR TACHOMETER. I ASKED THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT IF I COULD CHANGE OUT THE TACHOMETER AND WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE I WAS UNDER A MECH'S DIRECTION AND THAT I WAS AT A REMOTE LOCATION, I COULD CHANGE THE GAUGE OUT AND BRING THE ACFT BACK TO XYZ WHERE THE WORK WOULD BE CHKED AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO SVC. I TALKED THIS OVER WITH THE OTHER PLT AND WE BOTH CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS IS PROBABLY OK GIVEN OUR SIT. THE OTHER PLT AND I CHANGED OUT THE TACHOMETER WHICH INVOLVED REMOVING 2 CANNON PLUGS AND A COUPLE OF SCREWS. I THEN FLEW THE NOW NORMALLY OPERATING ACFT BACK TO XYZ WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED BY A MECH. I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING ELSE OF THE MATTER UNTIL 2 DAYS AGO WHEN I HEARD THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS INVESTIGATING A COMPLAINT ISSUED BY THE PLT WHO WAS RELIEVED. APPARENTLY, ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE WAS FIRED BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT FLY THE ACFT WITH A BROKEN ROTOR TACHOMETER. I FELT THAT I DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG AS I WAS DIRECTED TO CHANGE THE TACHOMETER AND HOW TO CHANGE THE TACHOMETER AND THAT THE ACFT WAS FLOWN IMMEDIATELY BACK TO XYZ.

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.