Narrative:

I am a student pilot with approximately 21.1 hours of flight time of which 6.4 hours are as PIC and with informally about 1 hour of ground instruction. I have been taking lessons at FBO in texas since jan/98. I am checked out by my instructor to fly solo in the area on a C152. I usually fly very early about once a week so that I can minimize any disruptions to my work schedule. I am employed full-time and I am only taking flying lessons for recreational purposes. The FBO has a long-standing agreement to leave the keys in the plane for those pilots reserving a plane before their office opens. On approximately jun/aa/98, I reserved a C152 for jun/dd/98 at XA30. On jun/dd/98, I arrived at the field at approximately XA25, saw the hangar door closed and then proceeded to their C152 which was parked on the ramp. I planned to stay in traffic and practice a few takeoffs and lndgs. Once I arrived and climbed into the cabin, I found the key in the ignition. I obtained the checklist from the glove box and performed my preflight checklist. All items on the checklist passed including outside visual inspections, oil level check, and oil pressure check. After completing all before starting engine and starting engine checklists, I taxied to the end of the runway to perform my before takeoff checklist items. All items passed except the magneto check. The aircraft passed the right magneto check, but when I switched to the left magneto, the power level started dropping. I quickly switched back to the 'both' position. I was unaware that 1 of the 2 redundant magnetos failing is a grounding condition. Originally, I believed any item that failed on the preflight checklist was a 'grounding condition,' however, this assumption was eroded for the following reasons. On one of my first flts, during the tire inspection, the tires seemed bald -- some of the tread grooves had worn completely down. However, I was notified by FBO personnel that the tire was ok. On another occasion during my preflight chkout, I noticed that the transponder was not there. After informing FBO personnel that the plane failed the checklist due to the transponder, they indicated that the transponder was removed for service and under current conditions, not required and that I was authority/authorized to fly. On yet another occasion, I was experiencing communication problems (another pilot also in traffic didn't seem to hear my responses). Upon immediately returning to the hangar, FBO personnel inspected and verified my radio, but said that regardless, under current conditions, a radio is not required. For these reasons, and since I was not aware that only 1 bad magneto was a grounding condition, I proceeded to depart cautiously and stay in traffic. On my second downwind leg, the oil pressure started dropping dramatically and I started to smell smoke in the cabin. I was able to bring the plane down onto the runway safely. Upon exiting the airplane at the hangar, I noticed large amounts of oil dripping from the cowling and engine area. Upon reporting the incident immediately to FBO personnel, they indicated to me that the plane was down for maintenance. Apparently, the day before, FBO personnel had performed maintenance on the airplane and had removed the left magneto. In summary: 1) FBO personnel did not call me to notify that the plane was down for maintenance even though I was clearly logged to chkout the plane at XA30. FBO has my office, home and pager numbers, and the former 2 have voice mail. 2) no markings or identify warning the plane was inoperative. 3) the key was left in the plane. 4) the plane was left out on the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI FLYING SOLO IN EARLY MORNING PRIOR TO OPENING OF FBO OFFICES EXPERIENCES A MAGNETO DROP BUT DOES NOT REALIZE THIS SHOULD GND THE ACFT. WHEN FLYING IN PATTERN HE SMELLS SMOKE AND SEES AN OIL PRESSURE DROP. HE RETURNS TO LEARN THAT THE ACFT WAS UNDERGOING MAINT AND THE MAGNETO HAD BEEN REMOVED.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT WITH APPROX 21.1 HRS OF FLT TIME OF WHICH 6.4 HRS ARE AS PIC AND WITH INFORMALLY ABOUT 1 HR OF GND INSTRUCTION. I HAVE BEEN TAKING LESSONS AT FBO IN TEXAS SINCE JAN/98. I AM CHKED OUT BY MY INSTRUCTOR TO FLY SOLO IN THE AREA ON A C152. I USUALLY FLY VERY EARLY ABOUT ONCE A WK SO THAT I CAN MINIMIZE ANY DISRUPTIONS TO MY WORK SCHEDULE. I AM EMPLOYED FULL-TIME AND I AM ONLY TAKING FLYING LESSONS FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES. THE FBO HAS A LONG-STANDING AGREEMENT TO LEAVE THE KEYS IN THE PLANE FOR THOSE PLTS RESERVING A PLANE BEFORE THEIR OFFICE OPENS. ON APPROX JUN/AA/98, I RESERVED A C152 FOR JUN/DD/98 AT XA30. ON JUN/DD/98, I ARRIVED AT THE FIELD AT APPROX XA25, SAW THE HANGAR DOOR CLOSED AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THEIR C152 WHICH WAS PARKED ON THE RAMP. I PLANNED TO STAY IN TFC AND PRACTICE A FEW TKOFS AND LNDGS. ONCE I ARRIVED AND CLBED INTO THE CABIN, I FOUND THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. I OBTAINED THE CHKLIST FROM THE GLOVE BOX AND PERFORMED MY PREFLT CHKLIST. ALL ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST PASSED INCLUDING OUTSIDE VISUAL INSPECTIONS, OIL LEVEL CHK, AND OIL PRESSURE CHK. AFTER COMPLETING ALL BEFORE STARTING ENG AND STARTING ENG CHKLISTS, I TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY TO PERFORM MY BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST ITEMS. ALL ITEMS PASSED EXCEPT THE MAGNETO CHK. THE ACFT PASSED THE R MAGNETO CHK, BUT WHEN I SWITCHED TO THE L MAGNETO, THE PWR LEVEL STARTED DROPPING. I QUICKLY SWITCHED BACK TO THE 'BOTH' POS. I WAS UNAWARE THAT 1 OF THE 2 REDUNDANT MAGNETOS FAILING IS A GNDING CONDITION. ORIGINALLY, I BELIEVED ANY ITEM THAT FAILED ON THE PREFLT CHKLIST WAS A 'GNDING CONDITION,' HOWEVER, THIS ASSUMPTION WAS ERODED FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS. ON ONE OF MY FIRST FLTS, DURING THE TIRE INSPECTION, THE TIRES SEEMED BALD -- SOME OF THE TREAD GROOVES HAD WORN COMPLETELY DOWN. HOWEVER, I WAS NOTIFIED BY FBO PERSONNEL THAT THE TIRE WAS OK. ON ANOTHER OCCASION DURING MY PREFLT CHKOUT, I NOTICED THAT THE XPONDER WAS NOT THERE. AFTER INFORMING FBO PERSONNEL THAT THE PLANE FAILED THE CHKLIST DUE TO THE XPONDER, THEY INDICATED THAT THE XPONDER WAS REMOVED FOR SVC AND UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS, NOT REQUIRED AND THAT I WAS AUTH TO FLY. ON YET ANOTHER OCCASION, I WAS EXPERIENCING COM PROBS (ANOTHER PLT ALSO IN TFC DIDN'T SEEM TO HEAR MY RESPONSES). UPON IMMEDIATELY RETURNING TO THE HANGAR, FBO PERSONNEL INSPECTED AND VERIFIED MY RADIO, BUT SAID THAT REGARDLESS, UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS, A RADIO IS NOT REQUIRED. FOR THESE REASONS, AND SINCE I WAS NOT AWARE THAT ONLY 1 BAD MAGNETO WAS A GNDING CONDITION, I PROCEEDED TO DEPART CAUTIOUSLY AND STAY IN TFC. ON MY SECOND DOWNWIND LEG, THE OIL PRESSURE STARTED DROPPING DRAMATICALLY AND I STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE IN THE CABIN. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE PLANE DOWN ONTO THE RWY SAFELY. UPON EXITING THE AIRPLANE AT THE HANGAR, I NOTICED LARGE AMOUNTS OF OIL DRIPPING FROM THE COWLING AND ENG AREA. UPON RPTING THE INCIDENT IMMEDIATELY TO FBO PERSONNEL, THEY INDICATED TO ME THAT THE PLANE WAS DOWN FOR MAINT. APPARENTLY, THE DAY BEFORE, FBO PERSONNEL HAD PERFORMED MAINT ON THE AIRPLANE AND HAD REMOVED THE L MAGNETO. IN SUMMARY: 1) FBO PERSONNEL DID NOT CALL ME TO NOTIFY THAT THE PLANE WAS DOWN FOR MAINT EVEN THOUGH I WAS CLRLY LOGGED TO CHKOUT THE PLANE AT XA30. FBO HAS MY OFFICE, HOME AND PAGER NUMBERS, AND THE FORMER 2 HAVE VOICE MAIL. 2) NO MARKINGS OR IDENT WARNING THE PLANE WAS INOP. 3) THE KEY WAS LEFT IN THE PLANE. 4) THE PLANE WAS LEFT OUT ON THE RAMP.

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.