Narrative:

This flight was to be in another aircraft, however, during the preflight on that aircraft, damage was found to a propeller. I immediately decided we needed another aircraft. Sitting next to the first plane was another one that is in our fleet of charter aircraft. It had recently undergone installation of a new navcom radio and a GPS receiver. Because of this work, I called the avionics technician who was doing the work to check on the aircraft's status. He told me all the work was done and the plane was ready to return to service. Based on this information, I proceeded to preflight the aircraft and finding no abnormalities, we made an uneventful flight from madison, wi, down to kansas city, mo, and returned that afternoon. The very next day (mar/ab/99) I was told that the paperwork was not completed for the radio work and that the aircraft was technically not airworthy. The decision to use this plane took place at XA00 and the logbooks are kept at another base airport, so at that time of the day with passenger leaving very soon, I did everything within my power to ensure that it was ready to fly. The technician said, 'it was released and ready to return to service.' there were no placards, aircraft grounded tags, etc. From what I understand it was only the paperwork that was not completed, and again, I could not verify this physically, it had to be done by calling the technician.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA31-325 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH NO DOCUMENTATION OR LOGBOOK ENTRY OF NEW AVIONICS SYS INSTALLED.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS TO BE IN ANOTHER ACFT, HOWEVER, DURING THE PREFLT ON THAT ACFT, DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO A PROP. I IMMEDIATELY DECIDED WE NEEDED ANOTHER ACFT. SITTING NEXT TO THE FIRST PLANE WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT IS IN OUR FLEET OF CHARTER ACFT. IT HAD RECENTLY UNDERGONE INSTALLATION OF A NEW NAVCOM RADIO AND A GPS RECEIVER. BECAUSE OF THIS WORK, I CALLED THE AVIONICS TECHNICIAN WHO WAS DOING THE WORK TO CHK ON THE ACFT'S STATUS. HE TOLD ME ALL THE WORK WAS DONE AND THE PLANE WAS READY TO RETURN TO SVC. BASED ON THIS INFO, I PROCEEDED TO PREFLT THE ACFT AND FINDING NO ABNORMALITIES, WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM MADISON, WI, DOWN TO KANSAS CITY, MO, AND RETURNED THAT AFTERNOON. THE VERY NEXT DAY (MAR/AB/99) I WAS TOLD THAT THE PAPERWORK WAS NOT COMPLETED FOR THE RADIO WORK AND THAT THE ACFT WAS TECHNICALLY NOT AIRWORTHY. THE DECISION TO USE THIS PLANE TOOK PLACE AT XA00 AND THE LOGBOOKS ARE KEPT AT ANOTHER BASE ARPT, SO AT THAT TIME OF THE DAY WITH PAX LEAVING VERY SOON, I DID EVERYTHING WITHIN MY PWR TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS READY TO FLY. THE TECHNICIAN SAID, 'IT WAS RELEASED AND READY TO RETURN TO SVC.' THERE WERE NO PLACARDS, ACFT GNDED TAGS, ETC. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IT WAS ONLY THE PAPERWORK THAT WAS NOT COMPLETED, AND AGAIN, I COULD NOT VERIFY THIS PHYSICALLY, IT HAD TO BE DONE BY CALLING THE TECHNICIAN.

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.