Narrative:

I have discovered that my airline is in violation of part 91.411/413 -- the altimeter and transponder tests. The FAA is investigating and wants to see my maintenance logs. The problem isn't that I missed by a few weeks or months. As I paged through the history of the plane, I saw an old entry for the test and a chill went through my body. This far has been off my mental checklist for yrs! There have been no ATC altitude, mode C or squawk code complaints involving any flight of this plane. My insurance company inquires annually as to when my medical is due. The same goes for BFR's. It is hard to miss the ELT battery because the annual inspection requires it be good through the next yr. These other scheduled responsibilities have a backup memory jogger. This one just faded from my mind and didn't resurface until I had this occasion to be thoughtfully paging through the plane's history. I keep a logsheet in the plane to track engine/airframe time on a per flight basis. At the bottom of that sheet, I have blanks for 'next oil change due ______' and 'VOR test: date, place, initials.' a 'transponder due date' blank will be added to that sheet, which will solve the problem for me singularly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the impression the inspection was overdue was false. The reporter said upon consulting with the maintenance organization who did the annual inspection it was discovered the altimeter was replaced and the transponder and altimeter were tested. The reporter stated the information was not entered in the logbook but in the annual check paperwork.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER 34 OWNER RPTED THE BIANNUAL ALTIMETER AND XPONDER CHK WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED AND OUT OF DATE.

Narrative: I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MY AIRLINE IS IN VIOLATION OF PART 91.411/413 -- THE ALTIMETER AND XPONDER TESTS. THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING AND WANTS TO SEE MY MAINT LOGS. THE PROB ISN'T THAT I MISSED BY A FEW WKS OR MONTHS. AS I PAGED THROUGH THE HISTORY OF THE PLANE, I SAW AN OLD ENTRY FOR THE TEST AND A CHILL WENT THROUGH MY BODY. THIS FAR HAS BEEN OFF MY MENTAL CHKLIST FOR YRS! THERE HAVE BEEN NO ATC ALT, MODE C OR SQUAWK CODE COMPLAINTS INVOLVING ANY FLT OF THIS PLANE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY INQUIRES ANNUALLY AS TO WHEN MY MEDICAL IS DUE. THE SAME GOES FOR BFR'S. IT IS HARD TO MISS THE ELT BATTERY BECAUSE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION REQUIRES IT BE GOOD THROUGH THE NEXT YR. THESE OTHER SCHEDULED RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE A BACKUP MEMORY JOGGER. THIS ONE JUST FADED FROM MY MIND AND DIDN'T RESURFACE UNTIL I HAD THIS OCCASION TO BE THOUGHTFULLY PAGING THROUGH THE PLANE'S HISTORY. I KEEP A LOGSHEET IN THE PLANE TO TRACK ENG/AIRFRAME TIME ON A PER FLT BASIS. AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT SHEET, I HAVE BLANKS FOR 'NEXT OIL CHANGE DUE ______' AND 'VOR TEST: DATE, PLACE, INITIALS.' A 'XPONDER DUE DATE' BLANK WILL BE ADDED TO THAT SHEET, WHICH WILL SOLVE THE PROB FOR ME SINGULARLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE IMPRESSION THE INSPECTION WAS OVERDUE WAS FALSE. THE RPTR SAID UPON CONSULTING WITH THE MAINT ORGANIZATION WHO DID THE ANNUAL INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ALTIMETER WAS REPLACED AND THE XPONDER AND ALTIMETER WERE TESTED. THE RPTR STATED THE INFO WAS NOT ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK BUT IN THE ANNUAL CHK PAPERWORK.

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.