Narrative:

I picked up my aircraft after being notified it was signed off and ready. I was going to fly the pattern to check everything out. Aircraft was worked on by non-certified amateur pilots -- no a and P license. Mr X did most of the work on my aircraft. He told me prior to jan/mon/03, that he was an a and P, and that his partner was a certified ia. 2 months into the annual inspection, I was informed by mr Y that the mechanic's doing most of the work, mr X and mr Z were not a and P mechanic's, but in fact, were private pilot and commercial pilots respectfully. Mr Y walked off the job after mr X (private pilot) fired him from doing the annual in early mar/2003. Mr X then hired mr a, a local ia, to sign off the annual. He signed off the annual inspection after 2 days of checking papers. As I took off from ZZZ to test the plane in the local pattern, I found that no radios worked, some gauges were inoperative, and I was unable to trim nose down. I tried landing at ZZZ and found that I could not safely flare out. I climbed out of pattern and circled the field trying to communication, trim plane, cycle the landing gear, which was stuck in down position. After 1/2 hour, I departed ZZZ an uncontrolled airport (no tower) and headed to YYY to try to land. Pmp has emergency fire personnel on their control tower airport. I was able to keep the plane at altitude by using the engine power up and down to raise and lower the nose. I was terrified, and declared an emergency to ZZZ tower. I did a fly-by to check my landing gear and circled and landed. I am outraged that my aircraft was signed off 2 days earlier by mr a, an ia, with the knowledge that most all of the work was done by non-certified mechanics. He told me on mar/tue/03, by phone, that he was happy with the condition of my plane after non-certified mechanics worked on it for almost 2 months.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT DISCOVERED UNQUALIFIED, UNCERTIFIED MECHS WORKED ON HIS ACFT. HE HAD SERIOUS PROBS WITH THE FIRST FLT AFTER MAINT.

Narrative: I PICKED UP MY ACFT AFTER BEING NOTIFIED IT WAS SIGNED OFF AND READY. I WAS GOING TO FLY THE PATTERN TO CHK EVERYTHING OUT. ACFT WAS WORKED ON BY NON-CERTIFIED AMATEUR PLTS -- NO A AND P LICENSE. MR X DID MOST OF THE WORK ON MY ACFT. HE TOLD ME PRIOR TO JAN/MON/03, THAT HE WAS AN A AND P, AND THAT HIS PARTNER WAS A CERTIFIED IA. 2 MONTHS INTO THE ANNUAL INSPECTION, I WAS INFORMED BY MR Y THAT THE MECH'S DOING MOST OF THE WORK, MR X AND MR Z WERE NOT A AND P MECH'S, BUT IN FACT, WERE PVT PLT AND COMMERCIAL PLTS RESPECTFULLY. MR Y WALKED OFF THE JOB AFTER MR X (PVT PLT) FIRED HIM FROM DOING THE ANNUAL IN EARLY MAR/2003. MR X THEN HIRED MR A, A LCL IA, TO SIGN OFF THE ANNUAL. HE SIGNED OFF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AFTER 2 DAYS OF CHKING PAPERS. AS I TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ TO TEST THE PLANE IN THE LCL PATTERN, I FOUND THAT NO RADIOS WORKED, SOME GAUGES WERE INOP, AND I WAS UNABLE TO TRIM NOSE DOWN. I TRIED LNDG AT ZZZ AND FOUND THAT I COULD NOT SAFELY FLARE OUT. I CLBED OUT OF PATTERN AND CIRCLED THE FIELD TRYING TO COM, TRIM PLANE, CYCLE THE LNDG GEAR, WHICH WAS STUCK IN DOWN POS. AFTER 1/2 HR, I DEPARTED ZZZ AN UNCTLED ARPT (NO TWR) AND HEADED TO YYY TO TRY TO LAND. PMP HAS EMER FIRE PERSONNEL ON THEIR CTL TWR ARPT. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE PLANE AT ALT BY USING THE ENG PWR UP AND DOWN TO RAISE AND LOWER THE NOSE. I WAS TERRIFIED, AND DECLARED AN EMER TO ZZZ TWR. I DID A FLY-BY TO CHK MY LNDG GEAR AND CIRCLED AND LANDED. I AM OUTRAGED THAT MY ACFT WAS SIGNED OFF 2 DAYS EARLIER BY MR A, AN IA, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT MOST ALL OF THE WORK WAS DONE BY NON-CERTIFIED MECHS. HE TOLD ME ON MAR/TUE/03, BY PHONE, THAT HE WAS HAPPY WITH THE CONDITION OF MY PLANE AFTER NON-CERTIFIED MECHS WORKED ON IT FOR ALMOST 2 MONTHS.

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.