Narrative:

On sep/tue/03, I was assigned to fly a 1 hour lesson with a CFI candidate student in a piper warrior at my place of employment. During the preflight (which we were doing together) I noticed that the stall warning horn was inoperative. We checked the MEL and as we suspected, it was not 'deferrable.' so I called the maintenance manager and explained the situation and, noting the obvious, mentioned that the plane was obviously not flyable/airworthy with this kind of problem. He said he would come out to take a look. A little while later he came out and looked at the problem. He also tried a few things to get the horn working again. He then said he could fix the problem, but that it would likely take an additional half hour or so before we would be able to take the plane. He then said that there was another option. (Pointing to another plane) he said something along the lines of, 'well I could go inside and get the folder for this other piper warrior, I just finished working on this one and this one I know is in good shape to take. You could take it.' I said that sounded great. Later, when he returned, even though we were now running about 1 hour later than planned for what was to be a short, local flight instruction flight, we preflted the plane and left for a short lesson. Later in the same day, one of our chief instructors informed me that the (maintenance) tachometer in the plane we took at the time we taxied off to begin our lesson, was actually over the 100 hour inspection limit by 0.2 of an hour. I said that I wasn't aware of it at the time we started up and since the maintenance manager himself had just told us he had just finished working on the plane and told us that this plane was okay to fly, it didn't occur to me to check the tachometer time on it against when the 100 hour inspection was due. He is our one maintenance professional and I have to admit, I simply took him at his word. He told us the plane was fine, handed us the keys and book, we preflted then left for our short flight. I realize now that the plane was not supposed to have been flown past the 100 hour time, and can only say that in light of the way the maintenance manager spoke with us, it simply didn't occur to me to double-check whether the plane was in flying condition or not for any reason.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 INSTRUCTOR PLT FLEW AN ACFT THAT HAD EXCEEDED ITS 100 HR INSPECTION TIME AFTER THE MAINT MGR TOLD HIM THE ACFT WAS READY FOR FLT.

Narrative: ON SEP/TUE/03, I WAS ASSIGNED TO FLY A 1 HR LESSON WITH A CFI CANDIDATE STUDENT IN A PIPER WARRIOR AT MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. DURING THE PREFLT (WHICH WE WERE DOING TOGETHER) I NOTICED THAT THE STALL WARNING HORN WAS INOP. WE CHKED THE MEL AND AS WE SUSPECTED, IT WAS NOT 'DEFERRABLE.' SO I CALLED THE MAINT MGR AND EXPLAINED THE SIT AND, NOTING THE OBVIOUS, MENTIONED THAT THE PLANE WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT FLYABLE/AIRWORTHY WITH THIS KIND OF PROB. HE SAID HE WOULD COME OUT TO TAKE A LOOK. A LITTLE WHILE LATER HE CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT THE PROB. HE ALSO TRIED A FEW THINGS TO GET THE HORN WORKING AGAIN. HE THEN SAID HE COULD FIX THE PROB, BUT THAT IT WOULD LIKELY TAKE AN ADDITIONAL HALF HR OR SO BEFORE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THE PLANE. HE THEN SAID THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER OPTION. (POINTING TO ANOTHER PLANE) HE SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, 'WELL I COULD GO INSIDE AND GET THE FOLDER FOR THIS OTHER PIPER WARRIOR, I JUST FINISHED WORKING ON THIS ONE AND THIS ONE I KNOW IS IN GOOD SHAPE TO TAKE. YOU COULD TAKE IT.' I SAID THAT SOUNDED GREAT. LATER, WHEN HE RETURNED, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NOW RUNNING ABOUT 1 HR LATER THAN PLANNED FOR WHAT WAS TO BE A SHORT, LCL FLT INSTRUCTION FLT, WE PREFLTED THE PLANE AND LEFT FOR A SHORT LESSON. LATER IN THE SAME DAY, ONE OF OUR CHIEF INSTRUCTORS INFORMED ME THAT THE (MAINT) TACHOMETER IN THE PLANE WE TOOK AT THE TIME WE TAXIED OFF TO BEGIN OUR LESSON, WAS ACTUALLY OVER THE 100 HR INSPECTION LIMIT BY 0.2 OF AN HR. I SAID THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF IT AT THE TIME WE STARTED UP AND SINCE THE MAINT MGR HIMSELF HAD JUST TOLD US HE HAD JUST FINISHED WORKING ON THE PLANE AND TOLD US THAT THIS PLANE WAS OKAY TO FLY, IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME TO CHK THE TACHOMETER TIME ON IT AGAINST WHEN THE 100 HR INSPECTION WAS DUE. HE IS OUR ONE MAINT PROFESSIONAL AND I HAVE TO ADMIT, I SIMPLY TOOK HIM AT HIS WORD. HE TOLD US THE PLANE WAS FINE, HANDED US THE KEYS AND BOOK, WE PREFLTED THEN LEFT FOR OUR SHORT FLT. I REALIZE NOW THAT THE PLANE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN FLOWN PAST THE 100 HR TIME, AND CAN ONLY SAY THAT IN LIGHT OF THE WAY THE MAINT MGR SPOKE WITH US, IT SIMPLY DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME TO DOUBLE-CHK WHETHER THE PLANE WAS IN FLYING CONDITION OR NOT FOR ANY REASON.

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.