Narrative:

With only 4 months of part 135 operation experience; and with fear to lose my job; I accepted to fly an aircraft in which I refused to fly in the first instance. I refused to fly that aircraft because is old and I don't feel comfortable flying it. That day I did my preflight as 91.103 specified and I found that the aircraft was airworthy to fly following my checklist. I got the cargo and the loader; secured the cargo with the appropriate cargo net. I verified that all necessary documents were on board and I took off from tjsj to tist and then bvi tortola. When I landed; I found around 5 inspectors waiting for me at the ramp. Only one idented himself as an FAA inspector. He asked about my personal documents and aircraft documents. He asked about a VFR navigation chart; because the operation is VFR; and I gave him my personal chart which it was expired. I was very nervous because of my first FAA ramp check and I did not give him the right VFR chart -- the one that was on the aircraft flight manual; but the VFR chart; the current one; was on the aircraft. He also verify the cargo security. The cargo was secured with its cargo net. The inspector found that the cargo was not properly secured but it was secured with the cargo net. After that; the other inspectors found that there were missing screws; a data plate; and fuselage with corrosion. Before the flight; I did my preflight check but the checklist doesn't call for looking for missing screws; data plate; or corrosion. After the ramp check; I understood that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition to return the aircraft to tjsj for maintenance. The inspectors didn't give me any document specifying that the aircraft was grounded. Also; I talked to the operator of the company and he told me that if they didn't give me any paperwork; the aircraft is not grounded. After I landed at tjsj; I reported all the items found on the ramp check to the maintenance personnel. It wasn't my intention to violate any federal regulation or to operate an aircraft in an unairworthy condition. It was not my intention to operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner. About the operator; this is not the first time that I refused to fly an aircraft for him. He only worry about making the flight without taking into consideration safety and consequences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONTRACT PLT OF C402 CARGO FLT IS MET BY FAA RAMP INSPECTORS WHO FIND THE ACFT TO NOT BE AIRWORTHY. PLT FLIES IT BACK TO MAINT BASE NONETHELESS.

Narrative: WITH ONLY 4 MONTHS OF PART 135 OP EXPERIENCE; AND WITH FEAR TO LOSE MY JOB; I ACCEPTED TO FLY AN ACFT IN WHICH I REFUSED TO FLY IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. I REFUSED TO FLY THAT ACFT BECAUSE IS OLD AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE FLYING IT. THAT DAY I DID MY PREFLT AS 91.103 SPECIFIED AND I FOUND THAT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY TO FLY FOLLOWING MY CHKLIST. I GOT THE CARGO AND THE LOADER; SECURED THE CARGO WITH THE APPROPRIATE CARGO NET. I VERIFIED THAT ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS WERE ON BOARD AND I TOOK OFF FROM TJSJ TO TIST AND THEN BVI TORTOLA. WHEN I LANDED; I FOUND AROUND 5 INSPECTORS WAITING FOR ME AT THE RAMP. ONLY ONE IDENTED HIMSELF AS AN FAA INSPECTOR. HE ASKED ABOUT MY PERSONAL DOCUMENTS AND ACFT DOCUMENTS. HE ASKED ABOUT A VFR NAV CHART; BECAUSE THE OP IS VFR; AND I GAVE HIM MY PERSONAL CHART WHICH IT WAS EXPIRED. I WAS VERY NERVOUS BECAUSE OF MY FIRST FAA RAMP CHK AND I DID NOT GIVE HIM THE RIGHT VFR CHART -- THE ONE THAT WAS ON THE ACFT FLT MANUAL; BUT THE VFR CHART; THE CURRENT ONE; WAS ON THE ACFT. HE ALSO VERIFY THE CARGO SECURITY. THE CARGO WAS SECURED WITH ITS CARGO NET. THE INSPECTOR FOUND THAT THE CARGO WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED BUT IT WAS SECURED WITH THE CARGO NET. AFTER THAT; THE OTHER INSPECTORS FOUND THAT THERE WERE MISSING SCREWS; A DATA PLATE; AND FUSELAGE WITH CORROSION. BEFORE THE FLT; I DID MY PREFLT CHK BUT THE CHKLIST DOESN'T CALL FOR LOOKING FOR MISSING SCREWS; DATA PLATE; OR CORROSION. AFTER THE RAMP CHK; I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE ACFT WAS IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION TO RETURN THE ACFT TO TJSJ FOR MAINT. THE INSPECTORS DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY DOCUMENT SPECIFYING THAT THE ACFT WAS GNDED. ALSO; I TALKED TO THE OPERATOR OF THE COMPANY AND HE TOLD ME THAT IF THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY PAPERWORK; THE ACFT IS NOT GNDED. AFTER I LANDED AT TJSJ; I RPTED ALL THE ITEMS FOUND ON THE RAMP CHK TO THE MAINT PERSONNEL. IT WASN'T MY INTENTION TO VIOLATE ANY FEDERAL REG OR TO OPERATE AN ACFT IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION. IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION TO OPERATE AN ACFT IN A CARELESS OR RECKLESS MANNER. ABOUT THE OPERATOR; THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT I REFUSED TO FLY AN ACFT FOR HIM. HE ONLY WORRY ABOUT MAKING THE FLT WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION SAFETY AND CONSEQUENCES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.