Narrative:

On or about oct/mon/06; at approximately XA30 pm CDT; I was observing our mechanic perform maintenance on our airplane; a beech 350 king air; and decided to retrieve the pilot's operating handbook (poh) from the aircraft and review some information regarding the flight director (FD) system. The mechanic had been resolving various write-ups which existed on the airplane; one of which was a malfunctioning FD system; which failed to operate correctly on or about oct/thu/06; during a flight in which I was the captain/PIC. That particular flight terminated without incident later that same date. It was my desire to take advantage of this 'down-time' and review and become refreshed with the information regarding the FD which was in the poh. This is consistent with other practices during down-times; such as updating approach plates; reviewing aircraft documents and insurance for up-to-date status; and miscellaneous administrative duties at the hangar office. Upon retrieving the poh and sitting at my desk; I opened it and attempted to locate the 'supplements' (formally known as FAA approved supplements) regarding installed equipment and devices in the airplane. I physically went from the cover page of the poh; and flipped through each and every page; all the way to the back; and was unable to locate any supplement for the FD; nor for approximately 10 other installed items; to include the stormscope/skywatch; flight data recorder; etc. I then summoned the mechanic to conduct a search of his office area and the aircraft compartments; in the event they would be located in those areas. Shortly thereafter; the mechanic advised he was unable to locate the supplements and advised that he had never seen them in the first place. As such; we concluded that the required supplements were not on file and certainly were not 'in the airplane' as required by a large notation in the poh itself; which stated '...supplements must be in the airplane...' we also concluded that we had likely been flying this airplane (with no adverse safety problems; but...) for approximately 2 yrs; flying 300-400 hours a yr; without the required supplements. It should be noted that the following far's apply to this situation far 21.5(B)(1) far 91.9(B)(1) (far 91.503(7)(C)(4). As a result; my partner; who is a co-captain; and I; have possibly violated 3 far's on each and every flight; for approximately 2 yrs. Assuming 2 flts a week; every week; multiplied by 52 weeks; that is 104 flts a yr or 208 flts over 2 yrs; and potentially 208 far violations on our records and licenses. I 'downed the airplane' in coordination with our maintenance base quality assurance staff; once I learned we did not have the supplements; and they advised the supplements would be shipped as soon as possible. I feel this problem occurred because our maintenance personnel somehow failed to install the supplements in the poh when the equipment was installed. This possibly occurred because the mechanics work on multiple types of aircraft and the aircraft tend to get 'pushed out' the door; as my company operates in a mission-accomplishment mindset. I do not feel that any one person was negligent or 'at fault' for this; but feel this is an institutional/culture type of problem. I feel that our company maintenance personnel should be required to review the poh and other aircraft documents at phase inspections and any time our aircraft is in the 'maintenance base' for work (we operate using a central maintenance base concept). Phase inspections occur every 6 months or so; and this is an opportune time to situation down and make sure all the paperwork is in order.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEN REVIEWING PLTS OPERATING HANDBOOK; A BEECH 350 CAPT RPTS HE DISCOVERED THE REQUIRED 'SUPPLEMENTS' WERE MISSING.

Narrative: ON OR ABOUT OCT/MON/06; AT APPROX XA30 PM CDT; I WAS OBSERVING OUR MECH PERFORM MAINT ON OUR AIRPLANE; A BEECH 350 KING AIR; AND DECIDED TO RETRIEVE THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH) FROM THE ACFT AND REVIEW SOME INFO REGARDING THE FLT DIRECTOR (FD) SYS. THE MECH HAD BEEN RESOLVING VARIOUS WRITE-UPS WHICH EXISTED ON THE AIRPLANE; ONE OF WHICH WAS A MALFUNCTIONING FD SYS; WHICH FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY ON OR ABOUT OCT/THU/06; DURING A FLT IN WHICH I WAS THE CAPT/PIC. THAT PARTICULAR FLT TERMINATED WITHOUT INCIDENT LATER THAT SAME DATE. IT WAS MY DESIRE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS 'DOWN-TIME' AND REVIEW AND BECOME REFRESHED WITH THE INFO REGARDING THE FD WHICH WAS IN THE POH. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER PRACTICES DURING DOWN-TIMES; SUCH AS UPDATING APCH PLATES; REVIEWING ACFT DOCUMENTS AND INSURANCE FOR UP-TO-DATE STATUS; AND MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AT THE HANGAR OFFICE. UPON RETRIEVING THE POH AND SITTING AT MY DESK; I OPENED IT AND ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE 'SUPPLEMENTS' (FORMALLY KNOWN AS FAA APPROVED SUPPLEMENTS) REGARDING INSTALLED EQUIP AND DEVICES IN THE AIRPLANE. I PHYSICALLY WENT FROM THE COVER PAGE OF THE POH; AND FLIPPED THROUGH EACH AND EVERY PAGE; ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK; AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY SUPPLEMENT FOR THE FD; NOR FOR APPROX 10 OTHER INSTALLED ITEMS; TO INCLUDE THE STORMSCOPE/SKYWATCH; FLT DATA RECORDER; ETC. I THEN SUMMONED THE MECH TO CONDUCT A SEARCH OF HIS OFFICE AREA AND THE ACFT COMPARTMENTS; IN THE EVENT THEY WOULD BE LOCATED IN THOSE AREAS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE MECH ADVISED HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SUPPLEMENTS AND ADVISED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. AS SUCH; WE CONCLUDED THAT THE REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTS WERE NOT ON FILE AND CERTAINLY WERE NOT 'IN THE AIRPLANE' AS REQUIRED BY A LARGE NOTATION IN THE POH ITSELF; WHICH STATED '...SUPPLEMENTS MUST BE IN THE AIRPLANE...' WE ALSO CONCLUDED THAT WE HAD LIKELY BEEN FLYING THIS AIRPLANE (WITH NO ADVERSE SAFETY PROBS; BUT...) FOR APPROX 2 YRS; FLYING 300-400 HRS A YR; WITHOUT THE REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE FOLLOWING FAR'S APPLY TO THIS SITUATION FAR 21.5(B)(1) FAR 91.9(B)(1) (FAR 91.503(7)(C)(4). AS A RESULT; MY PARTNER; WHO IS A CO-CAPT; AND I; HAVE POSSIBLY VIOLATED 3 FAR'S ON EACH AND EVERY FLT; FOR APPROX 2 YRS. ASSUMING 2 FLTS A WK; EVERY WK; MULTIPLIED BY 52 WKS; THAT IS 104 FLTS A YR OR 208 FLTS OVER 2 YRS; AND POTENTIALLY 208 FAR VIOLATIONS ON OUR RECORDS AND LICENSES. I 'DOWNED THE AIRPLANE' IN COORD WITH OUR MAINT BASE QUALITY ASSURANCE STAFF; ONCE I LEARNED WE DID NOT HAVE THE SUPPLEMENTS; AND THEY ADVISED THE SUPPLEMENTS WOULD BE SHIPPED ASAP. I FEEL THIS PROB OCCURRED BECAUSE OUR MAINT PERSONNEL SOMEHOW FAILED TO INSTALL THE SUPPLEMENTS IN THE POH WHEN THE EQUIP WAS INSTALLED. THIS POSSIBLY OCCURRED BECAUSE THE MECHS WORK ON MULTIPLE TYPES OF ACFT AND THE ACFT TEND TO GET 'PUSHED OUT' THE DOOR; AS MY COMPANY OPERATES IN A MISSION-ACCOMPLISHMENT MINDSET. I DO NOT FEEL THAT ANY ONE PERSON WAS NEGLIGENT OR 'AT FAULT' FOR THIS; BUT FEEL THIS IS AN INSTITUTIONAL/CULTURE TYPE OF PROB. I FEEL THAT OUR COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REVIEW THE POH AND OTHER ACFT DOCUMENTS AT PHASE INSPECTIONS AND ANY TIME OUR ACFT IS IN THE 'MAINT BASE' FOR WORK (WE OPERATE USING A CENTRAL MAINT BASE CONCEPT). PHASE INSPECTIONS OCCUR EVERY 6 MONTHS OR SO; AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND MAKE SURE ALL THE PAPERWORK IS IN ORDER.

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.