Narrative:

On jul/tue/99, I was flying the plane from menominee, mi, to timmerman field, mke, wi. The load meter on the plane began climbing, showing an abnormal current draw. We were approximately 8 mins from timmerman and 2 mins from xyz. I turned back and landed at xyz. The maintenance shop on the field found non FAA approved parts on the plane including the alternator, alternator belt, pulley, capacitors, etc. The shop called the FAA who picked up the parts and then ramp checked the plane. Several conditional items that grounded the plane were cited. For example: the flap on the left wing was replaced 25 yrs ago but the fluting was raised instead of recessed on the replacement part from piper, missing antenna on the ELT (? I know it was there the last time I checked), faulty fire extinguisher holder (installed by a&P mechanic), oxygen tank holder. (The seat back holder supplied by an aircraft company was not nearly as safe as the strapping system I used to secure the tank under the seat. It was not permanently fastened to the plane. Also a cracked aileron hinge which FAA thought may have been the subject of an airworthiness directive. The a&P who annualed the plane said there is no such airworthiness directive. The above information was orally supplied by the shop manager. It may be incomplete or in error since I have not received any list from the FAA. To summarize, I was not aware of anything in or on the plane that was in violation of FAA regulations including airworthiness directives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT HAD NUMEROUS MAINT PROBS.

Narrative: ON JUL/TUE/99, I WAS FLYING THE PLANE FROM MENOMINEE, MI, TO TIMMERMAN FIELD, MKE, WI. THE LOAD METER ON THE PLANE BEGAN CLBING, SHOWING AN ABNORMAL CURRENT DRAW. WE WERE APPROX 8 MINS FROM TIMMERMAN AND 2 MINS FROM XYZ. I TURNED BACK AND LANDED AT XYZ. THE MAINT SHOP ON THE FIELD FOUND NON FAA APPROVED PARTS ON THE PLANE INCLUDING THE ALTERNATOR, ALTERNATOR BELT, PULLEY, CAPACITORS, ETC. THE SHOP CALLED THE FAA WHO PICKED UP THE PARTS AND THEN RAMP CHKED THE PLANE. SEVERAL CONDITIONAL ITEMS THAT GROUNDED THE PLANE WERE CITED. FOR EXAMPLE: THE FLAP ON THE L WING WAS REPLACED 25 YRS AGO BUT THE FLUTING WAS RAISED INSTEAD OF RECESSED ON THE REPLACEMENT PART FROM PIPER, MISSING ANTENNA ON THE ELT (? I KNOW IT WAS THERE THE LAST TIME I CHKED), FAULTY FIRE EXTINGUISHER HOLDER (INSTALLED BY A&P MECH), OXYGEN TANK HOLDER. (THE SEAT BACK HOLDER SUPPLIED BY AN ACFT COMPANY WAS NOT NEARLY AS SAFE AS THE STRAPPING SYS I USED TO SECURE THE TANK UNDER THE SEAT. IT WAS NOT PERMANENTLY FASTENED TO THE PLANE. ALSO A CRACKED AILERON HINGE WHICH FAA THOUGHT MAY HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. THE A&P WHO ANNUALED THE PLANE SAID THERE IS NO SUCH AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. THE ABOVE INFO WAS ORALLY SUPPLIED BY THE SHOP MGR. IT MAY BE INCOMPLETE OR IN ERROR SINCE I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY LIST FROM THE FAA. TO SUMMARIZE, I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING IN OR ON THE PLANE THAT WAS IN VIOLATION OF FAA REGS INCLUDING AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES.

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.