GA small aircraft had hydraulic failure due to incomplete maintenance at FBO.

Attributes
ACN	90398
Time
Date	198806
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : w1o airport : w10
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
ASRS Report	90398
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Helicopter was test flown by myself and aircraft inspector from md. Flight appeared normal in all aspects. Aircraft was then flown again later in afternoon as a followup flight. That evening, I spoke with aircraft inspector with regards to the aircraft being released for flight and the annual inspection being signed off by him in the aircraft record. He assured me that the aircraft was released for flight and that he would have the entries made in the logbook later that day. I then assumed that since we did have his approval, the aircraft was legal to fly. Later that day, the aircraft had an hydraulic failure. The aircraft was landed west/O incident. It was later discovered that a plug in the hydraulic return line was left in the line. This caused pressure to build in the hydraulic system and the line to disconnect at the top of the transmission. Corrective action has been taken and it is now clear to me that an aircraft released for flight must have the proper entries in the logbook prior to any further flight after an annual inspection. There was no intent to fly an aircraft that was known to be unairworthy.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA HAD HYDRAULIC FAILURE DUE TO INCOMPLETE MAINTENANCE AT FBO.

Narrative: HELI WAS TEST FLOWN BY MYSELF AND ACFT INSPECTOR FROM MD. FLT APPEARED NORMAL IN ALL ASPECTS. ACFT WAS THEN FLOWN AGAIN LATER IN AFTERNOON AS A FOLLOWUP FLT. THAT EVENING, I SPOKE WITH ACFT INSPECTOR WITH REGARDS TO THE ACFT BEING RELEASED FOR FLT AND THE ANNUAL INSPECTION BEING SIGNED OFF BY HIM IN THE ACFT RECORD. HE ASSURED ME THAT THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR FLT AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE THE ENTRIES MADE IN THE LOGBOOK LATER THAT DAY. I THEN ASSUMED THAT SINCE WE DID HAVE HIS APPROVAL, THE ACFT WAS LEGAL TO FLY. LATER THAT DAY, THE ACFT HAD AN HYD FAILURE. THE ACFT WAS LANDED W/O INCIDENT. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT A PLUG IN THE HYD RETURN LINE WAS LEFT IN THE LINE. THIS CAUSED PRESSURE TO BUILD IN THE HYD SYS AND THE LINE TO DISCONNECT AT THE TOP OF THE XMISSION. CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AND IT IS NOW CLEAR TO ME THAT AN ACFT RELEASED FOR FLT MUST HAVE THE PROPER ENTRIES IN THE LOGBOOK PRIOR TO ANY FURTHER FLT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THERE WAS NO INTENT TO FLY AN ACFT THAT WAS KNOWN TO BE UNAIRWORTHY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.