Narrative:

During cruise flight from pit to mbs while completing paperwork, I discovered that our aircraft was past due for its routine inspection by 1 hour. Upon landing, we confirmed with maintenance that the times were correct and the plane was 1.5 hours past due. In the morning, during the runup, I discovered a faulty flap indicator. I spoke to maintenance and MEL'ed the indicator. This process caused a delay and we tried to minimize that delay. Because of short turnaround times, we were late and trying to make up the flight time. Upon our first arrival in pit, a mechanic greeted the airplane to correct the problem. When he came on board, we told him we were late and he stated he would take care of it later. We flew the rest of the day without incident. That night, as we were preparing for our last break before our return flight to mbs, the same mechanic greeted us to correct our flap indicator gauge. He worked on the plane during our break. As we were preparing to leave, another flight canceled and those passenger were sent to our flight. We were anticipating only 5, so we fueled so that the morning crew would not have to fuel as much. We had an oversold flight and were trying to see how many people and bags we could take legally. The first officer and I were under the gun to leave since we were already late. We finally departed and discovered our oversight on the way to mbs. I believe that the situation of being late in the morning caused us to feel pressured and overlook the inspection time. The mechanic also made the same error probably due to his own pressures. The situation at the end of the night also caused us to overlook our error once again. In the future, we cannot let time constraints get the best of us. There should also be a more reliable way to track inspection times so that the time remaining is more apparent to us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900 CREW FLIES THEIR ACFT 1 PT 5 HRS PAST THE SCHEDULED INSPECTION PERIOD.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT FROM PIT TO MBS WHILE COMPLETING PAPERWORK, I DISCOVERED THAT OUR ACFT WAS PAST DUE FOR ITS ROUTINE INSPECTION BY 1 HR. UPON LNDG, WE CONFIRMED WITH MAINT THAT THE TIMES WERE CORRECT AND THE PLANE WAS 1.5 HRS PAST DUE. IN THE MORNING, DURING THE RUNUP, I DISCOVERED A FAULTY FLAP INDICATOR. I SPOKE TO MAINT AND MEL'ED THE INDICATOR. THIS PROCESS CAUSED A DELAY AND WE TRIED TO MINIMIZE THAT DELAY. BECAUSE OF SHORT TURNAROUND TIMES, WE WERE LATE AND TRYING TO MAKE UP THE FLT TIME. UPON OUR FIRST ARR IN PIT, A MECH GREETED THE AIRPLANE TO CORRECT THE PROB. WHEN HE CAME ON BOARD, WE TOLD HIM WE WERE LATE AND HE STATED HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT LATER. WE FLEW THE REST OF THE DAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. THAT NIGHT, AS WE WERE PREPARING FOR OUR LAST BREAK BEFORE OUR RETURN FLT TO MBS, THE SAME MECH GREETED US TO CORRECT OUR FLAP INDICATOR GAUGE. HE WORKED ON THE PLANE DURING OUR BREAK. AS WE WERE PREPARING TO LEAVE, ANOTHER FLT CANCELED AND THOSE PAX WERE SENT TO OUR FLT. WE WERE ANTICIPATING ONLY 5, SO WE FUELED SO THAT THE MORNING CREW WOULD NOT HAVE TO FUEL AS MUCH. WE HAD AN OVERSOLD FLT AND WERE TRYING TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE AND BAGS WE COULD TAKE LEGALLY. THE FO AND I WERE UNDER THE GUN TO LEAVE SINCE WE WERE ALREADY LATE. WE FINALLY DEPARTED AND DISCOVERED OUR OVERSIGHT ON THE WAY TO MBS. I BELIEVE THAT THE SIT OF BEING LATE IN THE MORNING CAUSED US TO FEEL PRESSURED AND OVERLOOK THE INSPECTION TIME. THE MECH ALSO MADE THE SAME ERROR PROBABLY DUE TO HIS OWN PRESSURES. THE SIT AT THE END OF THE NIGHT ALSO CAUSED US TO OVERLOOK OUR ERROR ONCE AGAIN. IN THE FUTURE, WE CANNOT LET TIME CONSTRAINTS GET THE BEST OF US. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A MORE RELIABLE WAY TO TRACK INSPECTION TIMES SO THAT THE TIME REMAINING IS MORE APPARENT TO US.

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.