Narrative:

Several weeks ago, this aircraft was grounded for maintenance on the right main landing gear and wing structure. A previous hard landing had caused visible damage on the top wing surface, creating a tear in the wing surface. The maintenance shop proceeded to repair the wing, wing ribs, and gear attachments, etc. On nov/thu/03, I was asked by the flying club director/director of maintenance and the mechanic who had done the work on the wing to make a test flight of the aircraft prior to the plane being returned to the flight line for club members to rent the aircraft. That morning, myself and the mechanic who had performed the work, flew the aircraft for 1/2 hour in the traffic pattern and just outside the pao airspace to do operations checks on the landing gear and autoplt. 3 days later, it was brought to my attention that this was considered a major repair. After reviewing the FARS, I found that the mechanic that performed the work was not authority/authorized to sign off the repair and that I had flown an aircraft after a major repair without having the maintenance logbooks completed and signed by an ia. It was my responsibility as the PIC to determine the airworthiness of the aircraft and I had not checked beyond performing a visual preflight inspection of the aircraft. I should have checked the maintenance logbooks. I was, however, informed by both the club director and the mechanic who performed the work that the aircraft was ready for flight. I took their word for that and didn't check the logbooks. As it stands right now, the aircraft is still grounded until the ia returns to sign the logbooks. I, myself, will not be performing any more maintenance flts for this flying club. Supplemental information from acn 598765: I went on a maintenance flight with a flight instructor after completing a right wing landing gear/structural repair with supervision from the ia. After completing the maintenance flight, I realized the logbooks were not signed off by the ia. I also realized the work done is a major repair and must be signed off by the ia.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 IS OPERATED ON A TEST FLT WHICH LATER IS FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL BECAUSE THE LOGBOOK HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF BY A QUALIFIED INSPECTION AUTH MECH AT PAO, CA.

Narrative: SEVERAL WKS AGO, THIS ACFT WAS GNDED FOR MAINT ON THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR AND WING STRUCTURE. A PREVIOUS HARD LNDG HAD CAUSED VISIBLE DAMAGE ON THE TOP WING SURFACE, CREATING A TEAR IN THE WING SURFACE. THE MAINT SHOP PROCEEDED TO REPAIR THE WING, WING RIBS, AND GEAR ATTACHMENTS, ETC. ON NOV/THU/03, I WAS ASKED BY THE FLYING CLUB DIRECTOR/DIRECTOR OF MAINT AND THE MECH WHO HAD DONE THE WORK ON THE WING TO MAKE A TEST FLT OF THE ACFT PRIOR TO THE PLANE BEING RETURNED TO THE FLT LINE FOR CLUB MEMBERS TO RENT THE ACFT. THAT MORNING, MYSELF AND THE MECH WHO HAD PERFORMED THE WORK, FLEW THE ACFT FOR 1/2 HR IN THE TFC PATTERN AND JUST OUTSIDE THE PAO AIRSPACE TO DO OPS CHKS ON THE LNDG GEAR AND AUTOPLT. 3 DAYS LATER, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT THIS WAS CONSIDERED A MAJOR REPAIR. AFTER REVIEWING THE FARS, I FOUND THAT THE MECH THAT PERFORMED THE WORK WAS NOT AUTH TO SIGN OFF THE REPAIR AND THAT I HAD FLOWN AN ACFT AFTER A MAJOR REPAIR WITHOUT HAVING THE MAINT LOGBOOKS COMPLETED AND SIGNED BY AN IA. IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY AS THE PIC TO DETERMINE THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT AND I HAD NOT CHKED BEYOND PERFORMING A VISUAL PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE MAINT LOGBOOKS. I WAS, HOWEVER, INFORMED BY BOTH THE CLUB DIRECTOR AND THE MECH WHO PERFORMED THE WORK THAT THE ACFT WAS READY FOR FLT. I TOOK THEIR WORD FOR THAT AND DIDN'T CHK THE LOGBOOKS. AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THE ACFT IS STILL GNDED UNTIL THE IA RETURNS TO SIGN THE LOGBOOKS. I, MYSELF, WILL NOT BE PERFORMING ANY MORE MAINT FLTS FOR THIS FLYING CLUB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 598765: I WENT ON A MAINT FLT WITH A FLT INSTRUCTOR AFTER COMPLETING A R WING LNDG GEAR/STRUCTURAL REPAIR WITH SUPERVISION FROM THE IA. AFTER COMPLETING THE MAINT FLT, I REALIZED THE LOGBOOKS WERE NOT SIGNED OFF BY THE IA. I ALSO REALIZED THE WORK DONE IS A MAJOR REPAIR AND MUST BE SIGNED OFF BY THE IA.

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.