Narrative:

On or about mar/wed/04, I was accused of violating an far while operating a robinson R44 helicopter. I exited the helicopter while the engine was running. I was told by the chief mechanic for that helicopter that this was prohibited by the poh. I did so to listen for unusual sounds and check for vibration. I had locked the friction to prevent movement of the controls and had reduced the rotor RPM to a point that even full deflection of the controls would not permit movement of the aircraft. Later review by me of the poh revealed that it did not say that one could not take their hands off the controls, but rather 'the controls may not be left unattended.' backgnd: I was hired as a backup traffic pilot about 6 months ago. I have flown about 100 hours with them and have assisted with maintenance during and between each 100 hour inspection (about 5). I have attended the approved manufacturer maintenance course at the factory. During this time period, I pointed out numerous maintenance violations. A few of them are: no pre- and post-100 hour flight checks, numerous portions of the 100 hour checklist not being done, allowing the misalignment of pulley to engine drive belt, ignoring complaint of unreliable low fuel warning light function, error in adjusting blade track by bending the 'tab' up to bring a blade down, ignoring unusual aircraft noise at high speed. When I complained of a new aircraft noise, I was told by the chief mechanic that he would sleep on it. I never received a response. I called the factory to ask for assistance in ascertaining the cause (unusual high frequency sounds can warn of possible malfunction and imminent failure). I was fired by the company. When I asked why, the company mechanic said that it is a firing offense to call the factory, and my actions are a danger to the company. When I stated that my complaints are only for concerns of 'safety,' he said 'let's meet at the FSDO and see who loses their license.' he said getting out of a helicopter with the engine running is grounds for license revocation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFRONTATION BETWEEN NEWLY HIRED R-44 PLT AND THE CHIEF MECH CONCERNING MAINT OMISSIONS AND IRREGULARITIES.

Narrative: ON OR ABOUT MAR/WED/04, I WAS ACCUSED OF VIOLATING AN FAR WHILE OPERATING A ROBINSON R44 HELI. I EXITED THE HELI WHILE THE ENG WAS RUNNING. I WAS TOLD BY THE CHIEF MECH FOR THAT HELI THAT THIS WAS PROHIBITED BY THE POH. I DID SO TO LISTEN FOR UNUSUAL SOUNDS AND CHK FOR VIBRATION. I HAD LOCKED THE FRICTION TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE CTLS AND HAD REDUCED THE ROTOR RPM TO A POINT THAT EVEN FULL DEFLECTION OF THE CTLS WOULD NOT PERMIT MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT. LATER REVIEW BY ME OF THE POH REVEALED THAT IT DID NOT SAY THAT ONE COULD NOT TAKE THEIR HANDS OFF THE CTLS, BUT RATHER 'THE CTLS MAY NOT BE LEFT UNATTENDED.' BACKGND: I WAS HIRED AS A BACKUP TFC PLT ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. I HAVE FLOWN ABOUT 100 HRS WITH THEM AND HAVE ASSISTED WITH MAINT DURING AND BTWN EACH 100 HR INSPECTION (ABOUT 5). I HAVE ATTENDED THE APPROVED MANUFACTURER MAINT COURSE AT THE FACTORY. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, I POINTED OUT NUMEROUS MAINT VIOLATIONS. A FEW OF THEM ARE: NO PRE- AND POST-100 HR FLT CHKS, NUMEROUS PORTIONS OF THE 100 HR CHKLIST NOT BEING DONE, ALLOWING THE MISALIGNMENT OF PULLEY TO ENG DRIVE BELT, IGNORING COMPLAINT OF UNRELIABLE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT FUNCTION, ERROR IN ADJUSTING BLADE TRACK BY BENDING THE 'TAB' UP TO BRING A BLADE DOWN, IGNORING UNUSUAL ACFT NOISE AT HIGH SPD. WHEN I COMPLAINED OF A NEW ACFT NOISE, I WAS TOLD BY THE CHIEF MECH THAT HE WOULD SLEEP ON IT. I NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. I CALLED THE FACTORY TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE IN ASCERTAINING THE CAUSE (UNUSUAL HIGH FREQ SOUNDS CAN WARN OF POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION AND IMMINENT FAILURE). I WAS FIRED BY THE COMPANY. WHEN I ASKED WHY, THE COMPANY MECH SAID THAT IT IS A FIRING OFFENSE TO CALL THE FACTORY, AND MY ACTIONS ARE A DANGER TO THE COMPANY. WHEN I STATED THAT MY COMPLAINTS ARE ONLY FOR CONCERNS OF 'SAFETY,' HE SAID 'LET'S MEET AT THE FSDO AND SEE WHO LOSES THEIR LICENSE.' HE SAID GETTING OUT OF A HELI WITH THE ENG RUNNING IS GROUNDS FOR LICENSE REVOCATION.

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.