A C150's logbook does not indicate the removal of its wheel pants and the resulting adjustment neede...

Attributes
ACN	537677
Time
Date	200202
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tki.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 1320
ASRS Report	537677
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : faa 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

During the FAA ramp check, the aviation safety inspector asked to see an entry in the logbooks recording the removal of the aircraft wheel pants and the corresponding changes to the aircraft weight and balance data. Since the required logbooks were not in the plane, the inspector asked me to find the entries and facsimile them to him when they were found. Later, an examination of the logbooks showed that there was no recorded removal of the wheel pants. I have been a member of the flying club for the last 10 yrs, and for that time, the aircraft never had wheel pants installed. So, for at least the last 10 yrs, the aircraft has been flown with probable incorrect weight and balance data. The owner of the aircraft is xyz, which is the employee association of the company employees. It owns the plane and operates it (and several others) for the benefit of employees in a flying club environment. The individuals responsible for the operation of the plane were notified of the missing logbook entry. They are currently discussing what action to take to remedy the situation. Probably, the aircraft will be weighed and new weight and balance information will be recorded in the logbooks, along with the notation that the weight and balance information is for the aircraft without wheel pants. The aircraft has been the subject of 2 previous FAA pace inspections, and the FAA inspectors failed to detect the missing logbook entries both times.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C150'S LOGBOOK DOES NOT INDICATE THE REMOVAL OF ITS WHEEL PANTS AND THE RESULTING ADJUSTMENT NEEDED TO THE ACFT WT AND BAL DATA AT TKI, TX.

Narrative: DURING THE FAA RAMP CHK, THE AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR ASKED TO SEE AN ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOKS RECORDING THE REMOVAL OF THE ACFT WHEEL PANTS AND THE CORRESPONDING CHANGES TO THE ACFT WT AND BAL DATA. SINCE THE REQUIRED LOGBOOKS WERE NOT IN THE PLANE, THE INSPECTOR ASKED ME TO FIND THE ENTRIES AND FAX THEM TO HIM WHEN THEY WERE FOUND. LATER, AN EXAMINATION OF THE LOGBOOKS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO RECORDED REMOVAL OF THE WHEEL PANTS. I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE FLYING CLUB FOR THE LAST 10 YRS, AND FOR THAT TIME, THE ACFT NEVER HAD WHEEL PANTS INSTALLED. SO, FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 10 YRS, THE ACFT HAS BEEN FLOWN WITH PROBABLE INCORRECT WT AND BAL DATA. THE OWNER OF THE ACFT IS XYZ, WHICH IS THE EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION OF THE COMPANY EMPLOYEES. IT OWNS THE PLANE AND OPERATES IT (AND SEVERAL OTHERS) FOR THE BENEFIT OF EMPLOYEES IN A FLYING CLUB ENVIRONMENT. THE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OP OF THE PLANE WERE NOTIFIED OF THE MISSING LOGBOOK ENTRY. THEY ARE CURRENTLY DISCUSSING WHAT ACTION TO TAKE TO REMEDY THE SIT. PROBABLY, THE ACFT WILL BE WEIGHED AND NEW WT AND BAL INFO WILL BE RECORDED IN THE LOGBOOKS, ALONG WITH THE NOTATION THAT THE WT AND BAL INFO IS FOR THE ACFT WITHOUT WHEEL PANTS. THE ACFT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF 2 PREVIOUS FAA PACE INSPECTIONS, AND THE FAA INSPECTORS FAILED TO DETECT THE MISSING LOGBOOK ENTRIES BOTH TIMES.

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.

A C150's logbook does not indicate the removal of its wheel pants and the resulting adjustment needed to the aircraft weight and balance data at tki, tx.