Narrative:

I am a helicopter pilot working on a boat, a 267 ft long ship, working out in the western pacific ocean, unloading fish in american samoa. The helicopter resides permanently on the ship while at sea and is flown to and from the ship to find the fish. I would like to give an explanation of a few of the problems that we encounter out here. 1) the lack of FAA safety, maintenance and operations inspections. 2) the lack of direction from the FAA inspectors, due to a lack of inspections, to clear up misconceptions and misunderstood areas of the certification and operation of the helicopters. Also, a lack of the knowledge on the part of the operatorsecond officerwners of the boats as to what the certification maintenance and operations requirements are for the helicopters, at least in part, due to the lack of the FAA inspections and direction from the FAA inspectors. 3) due to a long fishing trip and the chief pilot/director of maintenance not wishing to perform the annual inspection because it was raining and there was about 1 1/2 months before the annual expired, I flew the helicopter for a few flts after the annual had expired. 4) due to a very short time frame in port, completing the annual inspection and the director of maintenance who is also the authority/authorized inspector who was to perform the inspection wasting so much of my time, I was not able to obtain a new medical certificate prior to going to sea. I flew the helicopter a few times after the second class had reverted to a third class certificate. Detailed explanations of the above, typewritten word for word from the NASA form: 1) the FAA has not been doing virtually no inspections of the part 91 fleet operator's helicopters for who knows how many yrs. Due to the lack of inspections to ensure that the helicopters are being maintained in an airworthy and certified condition, many of them, including the one that I am flying, are in a less than appropriate condition. The 'rumor and joke' in the western pacific is that the FAA has no interest in taking a look at the fleet, as if it is the 'black sheep' that nobody wants to talk to. Therefore, a large part of the fleet's helicopters have not had any supervision for compliance with regulations and certification that for any inspector to come down here now they can 'violate' a pilot or mechanic very easily. Most of the time the pilot or mechanic is not even aware that he can be violated by the FAA, due to the lack of inspections in the past. Due to the fact that the FAA has not been doing inspections of the fleet's helicopters, many of the machines are not in the mechanical condition as certified. This is also the case with the helicopter that I am flying. I had asked the chief pilot/director of maintenance to complete the annual inspection at the end of trip. The trip ended on about aug/xa/97, the annual would expire in october. We had almost constant rain for the 2 weeks that we were in port. He, the director of maintenance, said 'you have plenty of time.' I told him that we would have a problem if the trip was longer than the end october. Due to the rough seas and bad WX the trip ended on about nov/xb/97. I flew the helicopter several times between nov/xa/97 to nov/xz/97, which was very instrumental in finding the fish to finish this long trip. We had a very short stay in port. I was doing a large amount of work during the annual inspection. The chief pilot/director of maintenance wasted much of my time to the extent that I was not able to get my medical renewed. The boats were catching fish well and we expected to be in before dec/xa/97. The trip lasted until jan/xa/98. I flew the helicopter several flts between jan/xa/98 to jan/xz/98. Additional explanations: in addition, we are paid for the fish that are caught, if I fly 1 hour, 100 hours or not at all the pay is the same, we do not get paid 'for' flying, however we, as pilots, are assigned to fly. The name of the chief pilot/director of maintenance and ai is XXXX, ai/a&P YYYY. The chief pilot/director of maintenance was completely aware of the condition of this helicopter from before the date that I was assigned to maintain and fly this helicopter. He held his chief pilot/director of maintenance position, accordingto him and also according to the manager of the fishing company that I am working for, from before I was assigned on another ship and helicopter beginning on dec/xa/96. The actions of the chief pilot/director of maintenance, in his own words to the manager of this company and other people, was to entrap me so as to 'turn me in' to the FAA. This seems to be what his premeditated intention and actions have proven out. For the past yr the chief pilot/director of maintenance has performed possibly 1 - 1 1/2 days of work on this helicopter, he does almost no work to assist the pilots and mechanics. I am the only pilot mechanic who has stayed longer than a trip or 2 under his 'supervision.' in his own words, he wants to 'get rid of all the people who were hired by the manager of this company.' if the FAA were to look into the maintenance, flight operations and the actions of the chief pilot/director of maintenance, they would find a very long list of possible violations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HU50 AERIAL SURVEY FISH SPOTTING HELI PERFORMED OPS WHEN THE ACFT'S ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD EXPIRED AND HIS AIRMAN'S SECOND CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE HAD GONE BEYOND ITS EFFECTIVE DATE. HE BELIEVES THAT THESE VIOLATIONS WERE CAUSED BY THE OPERATOR'S LACK OF PROVIDING SUFFICIENT TIME FOR ACFT MAINT AND INSPECTIONS AND HIS ANNUAL PLT MEDICAL EXAM. HE ALSO BLAMES THE FAA FOR LACK OF SURVEILLANCE.

Narrative: I AM A HELI PLT WORKING ON A BOAT, A 267 FT LONG SHIP, WORKING OUT IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN, UNLOADING FISH IN AMERICAN SAMOA. THE HELI RESIDES PERMANENTLY ON THE SHIP WHILE AT SEA AND IS FLOWN TO AND FROM THE SHIP TO FIND THE FISH. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE AN EXPLANATION OF A FEW OF THE PROBS THAT WE ENCOUNTER OUT HERE. 1) THE LACK OF FAA SAFETY, MAINT AND OPS INSPECTIONS. 2) THE LACK OF DIRECTION FROM THE FAA INSPECTORS, DUE TO A LACK OF INSPECTIONS, TO CLR UP MISCONCEPTIONS AND MISUNDERSTOOD AREAS OF THE CERTIFICATION AND OP OF THE HELIS. ALSO, A LACK OF THE KNOWLEDGE ON THE PART OF THE OPERATORS/OWNERS OF THE BOATS AS TO WHAT THE CERTIFICATION MAINT AND OPS REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR THE HELIS, AT LEAST IN PART, DUE TO THE LACK OF THE FAA INSPECTIONS AND DIRECTION FROM THE FAA INSPECTORS. 3) DUE TO A LONG FISHING TRIP AND THE CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT NOT WISHING TO PERFORM THE ANNUAL INSPECTION BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING AND THERE WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ANNUAL EXPIRED, I FLEW THE HELI FOR A FEW FLTS AFTER THE ANNUAL HAD EXPIRED. 4) DUE TO A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME IN PORT, COMPLETING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT WHO IS ALSO THE AUTH INSPECTOR WHO WAS TO PERFORM THE INSPECTION WASTING SO MUCH OF MY TIME, I WAS NOT ABLE TO OBTAIN A NEW MEDICAL CERTIFICATE PRIOR TO GOING TO SEA. I FLEW THE HELI A FEW TIMES AFTER THE SECOND CLASS HAD REVERTED TO A THIRD CLASS CERTIFICATE. DETAILED EXPLANATIONS OF THE ABOVE, TYPEWRITTEN WORD FOR WORD FROM THE NASA FORM: 1) THE FAA HAS NOT BEEN DOING VIRTUALLY NO INSPECTIONS OF THE PART 91 FLEET OPERATOR'S HELIS FOR WHO KNOWS HOW MANY YRS. DUE TO THE LACK OF INSPECTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE HELIS ARE BEING MAINTAINED IN AN AIRWORTHY AND CERTIFIED CONDITION, MANY OF THEM, INCLUDING THE ONE THAT I AM FLYING, ARE IN A LESS THAN APPROPRIATE CONDITION. THE 'RUMOR AND JOKE' IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC IS THAT THE FAA HAS NO INTEREST IN TAKING A LOOK AT THE FLEET, AS IF IT IS THE 'BLACK SHEEP' THAT NOBODY WANTS TO TALK TO. THEREFORE, A LARGE PART OF THE FLEET'S HELIS HAVE NOT HAD ANY SUPERVISION FOR COMPLIANCE WITH REGS AND CERTIFICATION THAT FOR ANY INSPECTOR TO COME DOWN HERE NOW THEY CAN 'VIOLATE' A PLT OR MECH VERY EASILY. MOST OF THE TIME THE PLT OR MECH IS NOT EVEN AWARE THAT HE CAN BE VIOLATED BY THE FAA, DUE TO THE LACK OF INSPECTIONS IN THE PAST. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FAA HAS NOT BEEN DOING INSPECTIONS OF THE FLEET'S HELIS, MANY OF THE MACHINES ARE NOT IN THE MECHANICAL CONDITION AS CERTIFIED. THIS IS ALSO THE CASE WITH THE HELI THAT I AM FLYING. I HAD ASKED THE CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT TO COMPLETE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AT THE END OF TRIP. THE TRIP ENDED ON ABOUT AUG/XA/97, THE ANNUAL WOULD EXPIRE IN OCTOBER. WE HAD ALMOST CONSTANT RAIN FOR THE 2 WEEKS THAT WE WERE IN PORT. HE, THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT, SAID 'YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME.' I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD HAVE A PROB IF THE TRIP WAS LONGER THAN THE END OCTOBER. DUE TO THE ROUGH SEAS AND BAD WX THE TRIP ENDED ON ABOUT NOV/XB/97. I FLEW THE HELI SEVERAL TIMES BETWEEN NOV/XA/97 TO NOV/XZ/97, WHICH WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN FINDING THE FISH TO FINISH THIS LONG TRIP. WE HAD A VERY SHORT STAY IN PORT. I WAS DOING A LARGE AMOUNT OF WORK DURING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT WASTED MUCH OF MY TIME TO THE EXTENT THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET MY MEDICAL RENEWED. THE BOATS WERE CATCHING FISH WELL AND WE EXPECTED TO BE IN BEFORE DEC/XA/97. THE TRIP LASTED UNTIL JAN/XA/98. I FLEW THE HELI SEVERAL FLTS BTWN JAN/XA/98 TO JAN/XZ/98. ADDITIONAL EXPLANATIONS: IN ADDITION, WE ARE PAID FOR THE FISH THAT ARE CAUGHT, IF I FLY 1 HR, 100 HRS OR NOT AT ALL THE PAY IS THE SAME, WE DO NOT GET PAID 'FOR' FLYING, HOWEVER WE, AS PLTS, ARE ASSIGNED TO FLY. THE NAME OF THE CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT AND AI IS XXXX, AI/A&P YYYY. THE CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT WAS COMPLETELY AWARE OF THE CONDITION OF THIS HELI FROM BEFORE THE DATE THAT I WAS ASSIGNED TO MAINTAIN AND FLY THIS HELI. HE HELD HIS CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT POS, ACCORDINGTO HIM AND ALSO ACCORDING TO THE MGR OF THE FISHING COMPANY THAT I AM WORKING FOR, FROM BEFORE I WAS ASSIGNED ON ANOTHER SHIP AND HELI BEGINNING ON DEC/XA/96. THE ACTIONS OF THE CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT, IN HIS OWN WORDS TO THE MGR OF THIS COMPANY AND OTHER PEOPLE, WAS TO ENTRAP ME SO AS TO 'TURN ME IN' TO THE FAA. THIS SEEMS TO BE WHAT HIS PREMEDITATED INTENTION AND ACTIONS HAVE PROVEN OUT. FOR THE PAST YR THE CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT HAS PERFORMED POSSIBLY 1 - 1 1/2 DAYS OF WORK ON THIS HELI, HE DOES ALMOST NO WORK TO ASSIST THE PLTS AND MECHS. I AM THE ONLY PLT MECH WHO HAS STAYED LONGER THAN A TRIP OR 2 UNDER HIS 'SUPERVISION.' IN HIS OWN WORDS, HE WANTS TO 'GET RID OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE HIRED BY THE MGR OF THIS COMPANY.' IF THE FAA WERE TO LOOK INTO THE MAINT, FLT OPS AND THE ACTIONS OF THE CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF MAINT, THEY WOULD FIND A VERY LONG LIST OF POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS.

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.