Narrative:

FAA performed 135 certification inspection. Grounded small aircraft X for bad propeller. Informed owner aircraft not tagged. 2.5 hours later arrived for lesson. Scheduled aircraft gone. Owner suggested I fly small aircraft X, said ok, he would fly it. Stated previous pilot didn't want to fly it because of propeller. Showed me propeller and said would be ok (owner is high time pilot and designated FAA examiner). Decision made propeller within tolerance. 10 mins later aircraft preflted and lesson initiated for touch and go's in pattern. 50 mins later unicom called--told to land. 5 mins later taxied in and FAA began taking pictures. Informed it flew unairworthy. Told FAA I had preflted and found ok. Stated he had watched me and my takeoffs, lndgs and go arounds. I asked why asked to land. Told it would be getting dark soon and needed light to take pictures. If FAA had tagged aircraft or told me unairworthy prior to takeoff would not have flown. Logbooks verified for 100 hour inspection completed 9/88. Propeller had been in same condition since 8/88 and passed inspection. Others had flown in same condition. Owner presented aircraft as airworthy. Propeller had been dented and dressed. Propeller in same condition for some time. Corrective action: 1) FAA tag grounded aircraft. 2) inform pilot prior to takeoff aircraft unairworthy when possible. 3) improve guidelines to determine what is out of tolerance. 4) improve integrity of flight school owners. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter feels FAA inspector was lax in allowing aircraft to takeoff when he had grounded aircraft. If safety problem was that severe he should have stopped aircraft before takeoff, not after flying the pattern. Reporter has hired an attorney, met with FAA and is awaiting the results. Owner of operation and aircraft failed to tell pilot that the aircraft had been grounded. Reporter was speaker for flight instrument association who wanted more information on this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLEW GROUNDED ACFT.

Narrative: FAA PERFORMED 135 CERTIFICATION INSPECTION. GNDED SMA X FOR BAD PROP. INFORMED OWNER ACFT NOT TAGGED. 2.5 HRS LATER ARRIVED FOR LESSON. SCHEDULED ACFT GONE. OWNER SUGGESTED I FLY SMA X, SAID OK, HE WOULD FLY IT. STATED PREVIOUS PLT DIDN'T WANT TO FLY IT BECAUSE OF PROP. SHOWED ME PROP AND SAID WOULD BE OK (OWNER IS HIGH TIME PLT AND DESIGNATED FAA EXAMINER). DECISION MADE PROP WITHIN TOLERANCE. 10 MINS LATER ACFT PREFLTED AND LESSON INITIATED FOR TOUCH AND GO'S IN PATTERN. 50 MINS LATER UNICOM CALLED--TOLD TO LAND. 5 MINS LATER TAXIED IN AND FAA BEGAN TAKING PICTURES. INFORMED IT FLEW UNAIRWORTHY. TOLD FAA I HAD PREFLTED AND FOUND OK. STATED HE HAD WATCHED ME AND MY TKOFS, LNDGS AND GO AROUNDS. I ASKED WHY ASKED TO LAND. TOLD IT WOULD BE GETTING DARK SOON AND NEEDED LIGHT TO TAKE PICTURES. IF FAA HAD TAGGED ACFT OR TOLD ME UNAIRWORTHY PRIOR TO TKOF WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN. LOGBOOKS VERIFIED FOR 100 HR INSPECTION COMPLETED 9/88. PROP HAD BEEN IN SAME CONDITION SINCE 8/88 AND PASSED INSPECTION. OTHERS HAD FLOWN IN SAME CONDITION. OWNER PRESENTED ACFT AS AIRWORTHY. PROP HAD BEEN DENTED AND DRESSED. PROP IN SAME CONDITION FOR SOME TIME. CORRECTIVE ACTION: 1) FAA TAG GNDED ACFT. 2) INFORM PLT PRIOR TO TKOF ACFT UNAIRWORTHY WHEN POSSIBLE. 3) IMPROVE GUIDELINES TO DETERMINE WHAT IS OUT OF TOLERANCE. 4) IMPROVE INTEGRITY OF FLT SCHOOL OWNERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR FEELS FAA INSPECTOR WAS LAX IN ALLOWING ACFT TO TKOF WHEN HE HAD GNDED ACFT. IF SAFETY PROB WAS THAT SEVERE HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ACFT BEFORE TKOF, NOT AFTER FLYING THE PATTERN. RPTR HAS HIRED AN ATTORNEY, MET WITH FAA AND IS AWAITING THE RESULTS. OWNER OF OPERATION AND ACFT FAILED TO TELL PLT THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN GNDED. RPTR WAS SPEAKER FOR FLT INSTR ASSOCIATION WHO WANTED MORE INFO ON THIS INCIDENT.

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.