Narrative:

After conducting a part 135 flight in cessna 414 from fxe to pie, I noticed the landing lights hanging down. As I had no MEL onboard and had to wait until XJ00 pm or later for the passenger to return I decided to stick the lights back up with some old speed tape I had in my flight bag. I tried unsuccessfully at that time to get hold of my director of maintenance as he was unavailable. I decided to go to brunch along with a new company prospect pilot, mr X who had come along on the flight as an observer. Upon our return we were met by an FAA inspector, mr Y from the FSDO who showed me his credentials and wanted to know who was the pilot of aircraft and I replied that I was. He asked if he could inspect the aircraft and I replied that he could. He began to tell me that I had flown the aircraft with the lights taped up and that everything was supposed to work if I did not have an MEL. He also stated that an illegal repair had been made to the aircraft. I was shocked by his allegation but kept quiet all the same, the inspector then proceeded to request the part 135 weight and balance, the airworthiness certificate, aircraft registration, my license and medical also mr X certificate and medical, the aircraft weight and balance, which I was unable to locate but had by that time been able to locate my director of maintenance and had a copy faxed. I gave mr Y copy of the weight and balance which he noticed had a 9 pound difference to the part 135 weight and balance that I had given him. Later I discovered that I had inadvertently pulled an obsolete form from my flight folio for the weight and balance calculation and record. The inspector asked if he could copy the documents and I replied that he could and he did. As of when I had first met the inspector, I called my director of maintenance and informed him of the lights and to get the weight and balance copy faxed I was informed by him that I should take the aircraft OTS and obtain a ferry permit to get the aircraft home. I obtained the inspector's help in getting hold of the maintenance person on duty at his office and requested a ferry permit. When I received the ferry permit I had a local mechanic sign it verifying that the aircraft was safe for the intended flight back to fxe. I arranged for one of our other aircraft to continue the part 135 for the customer/passenger and returned with the aircraft. Believe that taping the landing lights up before contacting director of maintenance to find out what should be done was poor judgement on my part. Also to not ensure that I had vacated my flight folio of all obsolete forms was equally poor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C414 PLT EXHIBITED A VERY SLIPSHOD OP TO AN FAA FSDO INSPECTOR CONDUCTING A RAMP CHK.

Narrative: AFTER CONDUCTING A PART 135 FLT IN CESSNA 414 FROM FXE TO PIE, I NOTICED THE LNDG LIGHTS HANGING DOWN. AS I HAD NO MEL ONBOARD AND HAD TO WAIT UNTIL XJ00 PM OR LATER FOR THE PAX TO RETURN I DECIDED TO STICK THE LIGHTS BACK UP WITH SOME OLD SPD TAPE I HAD IN MY FLT BAG. I TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY AT THAT TIME TO GET HOLD OF MY DIRECTOR OF MAINT AS HE WAS UNAVAILABLE. I DECIDED TO GO TO BRUNCH ALONG WITH A NEW COMPANY PROSPECT PLT, MR X WHO HAD COME ALONG ON THE FLT AS AN OBSERVER. UPON OUR RETURN WE WERE MET BY AN FAA INSPECTOR, MR Y FROM THE FSDO WHO SHOWED ME HIS CREDENTIALS AND WANTED TO KNOW WHO WAS THE PLT OF ACFT AND I REPLIED THAT I WAS. HE ASKED IF HE COULD INSPECT THE ACFT AND I REPLIED THAT HE COULD. HE BEGAN TO TELL ME THAT I HAD FLOWN THE ACFT WITH THE LIGHTS TAPED UP AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK IF I DID NOT HAVE AN MEL. HE ALSO STATED THAT AN ILLEGAL REPAIR HAD BEEN MADE TO THE ACFT. I WAS SHOCKED BY HIS ALLEGATION BUT KEPT QUIET ALL THE SAME, THE INSPECTOR THEN PROCEEDED TO REQUEST THE PART 135 WT AND BAL, THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE, ACFT REGISTRATION, MY LICENSE AND MEDICAL ALSO MR X CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL, THE ACFT WT AND BAL, WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE BUT HAD BY THAT TIME BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE MY DIRECTOR OF MAINT AND HAD A COPY FAXED. I GAVE MR Y COPY OF THE WT AND BAL WHICH HE NOTICED HAD A 9 LB DIFFERENCE TO THE PART 135 WT AND BAL THAT I HAD GIVEN HIM. LATER I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY PULLED AN OBSOLETE FORM FROM MY FLT FOLIO FOR THE WT AND BAL CALCULATION AND RECORD. THE INSPECTOR ASKED IF HE COULD COPY THE DOCUMENTS AND I REPLIED THAT HE COULD AND HE DID. AS OF WHEN I HAD FIRST MET THE INSPECTOR, I CALLED MY DIRECTOR OF MAINT AND INFORMED HIM OF THE LIGHTS AND TO GET THE WT AND BAL COPY FAXED I WAS INFORMED BY HIM THAT I SHOULD TAKE THE ACFT OTS AND OBTAIN A FERRY PERMIT TO GET THE ACFT HOME. I OBTAINED THE INSPECTOR'S HELP IN GETTING HOLD OF THE MAINT PERSON ON DUTY AT HIS OFFICE AND REQUESTED A FERRY PERMIT. WHEN I RECEIVED THE FERRY PERMIT I HAD A LCL MECH SIGN IT VERIFYING THAT THE ACFT WAS SAFE FOR THE INTENDED FLT BACK TO FXE. I ARRANGED FOR ONE OF OUR OTHER ACFT TO CONTINUE THE PART 135 FOR THE CUSTOMER/PAX AND RETURNED WITH THE ACFT. BELIEVE THAT TAPING THE LNDG LIGHTS UP BEFORE CONTACTING DIRECTOR OF MAINT TO FIND OUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WAS POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART. ALSO TO NOT ENSURE THAT I HAD VACATED MY FLT FOLIO OF ALL OBSOLETE FORMS WAS EQUALLY POOR.

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.