Narrative:

I was called out to an archer (PA28-181) to check on a complaint about the copilot's seat. The gas cylinder that is used to raise and lower the seat was leaking down. After appraising the situation, I returned to the hangar to get a new copilot seat. At this time I found out that we did not have a spare copilot seat in stock. I went back out to the aircraft and informed the pilot that we did not have a replacement seat available, nor did we have any spare aircraft. At this time we talked about the options and decided to use a spare seat cushion to elevate the copilot, and I signed off the tech log and the work order as waiting for parts (replacement seat). At no time was the structure of the copilot's seat, or its mounting points altered. A short while later, I was informed by the chief inspector that the way I signed off the discrepancy was incorrect, as we did have a new gas cylinder to properly repair this seat. In my haste to get this aircraft airborne, I had not considered replacing the gas cylinder itself, or removing a seat from another aircraft as a replacement. I then went over to operations and asked them to ground this aircraft upon its return, so that proper repairs to the copilot seat could be made. Supplemental information from acn 576787: my technical logbook entry was -- right front seat will not stay up, inoperative. I asked if the write-up could be carried forward? A seat cushion could give me the extra ht. Write-up was signed off and stamped, safe for flight. After takeoff and in the practice area, flight operations asked that I finish the lessons and return the aircraft to maintenance. After parking, my flight operations manager and assistant chief pilot, asked me about the seat write-up. The flight may have been safe, but not legal. The 'mer' was not followed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER ARCHER IS FLOWN ON 2 TRAINING FLTS AFTER A SEAT REPAIR HAD NOT BEEN CORRECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS REQUIREMENTS AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: I WAS CALLED OUT TO AN ARCHER (PA28-181) TO CHK ON A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE COPLT'S SEAT. THE GAS CYLINDER THAT IS USED TO RAISE AND LOWER THE SEAT WAS LEAKING DOWN. AFTER APPRAISING THE SIT, I RETURNED TO THE HANGAR TO GET A NEW COPLT SEAT. AT THIS TIME I FOUND OUT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A SPARE COPLT SEAT IN STOCK. I WENT BACK OUT TO THE ACFT AND INFORMED THE PLT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT SEAT AVAILABLE, NOR DID WE HAVE ANY SPARE ACFT. AT THIS TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THE OPTIONS AND DECIDED TO USE A SPARE SEAT CUSHION TO ELEVATE THE COPLT, AND I SIGNED OFF THE TECH LOG AND THE WORK ORDER AS WAITING FOR PARTS (REPLACEMENT SEAT). AT NO TIME WAS THE STRUCTURE OF THE COPLT'S SEAT, OR ITS MOUNTING POINTS ALTERED. A SHORT WHILE LATER, I WAS INFORMED BY THE CHIEF INSPECTOR THAT THE WAY I SIGNED OFF THE DISCREPANCY WAS INCORRECT, AS WE DID HAVE A NEW GAS CYLINDER TO PROPERLY REPAIR THIS SEAT. IN MY HASTE TO GET THIS ACFT AIRBORNE, I HAD NOT CONSIDERED REPLACING THE GAS CYLINDER ITSELF, OR REMOVING A SEAT FROM ANOTHER ACFT AS A REPLACEMENT. I THEN WENT OVER TO OPS AND ASKED THEM TO GND THIS ACFT UPON ITS RETURN, SO THAT PROPER REPAIRS TO THE COPLT SEAT COULD BE MADE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 576787: MY TECHNICAL LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS -- R FRONT SEAT WILL NOT STAY UP, INOP. I ASKED IF THE WRITE-UP COULD BE CARRIED FORWARD? A SEAT CUSHION COULD GIVE ME THE EXTRA HT. WRITE-UP WAS SIGNED OFF AND STAMPED, SAFE FOR FLT. AFTER TKOF AND IN THE PRACTICE AREA, FLT OPS ASKED THAT I FINISH THE LESSONS AND RETURN THE ACFT TO MAINT. AFTER PARKING, MY FLT OPS MGR AND ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT, ASKED ME ABOUT THE SEAT WRITE-UP. THE FLT MAY HAVE BEEN SAFE, BUT NOT LEGAL. THE 'MER' WAS NOT FOLLOWED.

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.