PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT INADVERTENTLY OPERATED THE ACFT WHEN IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION SINCE IT HAD BEEN GNDED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR FOR A PROP SPINNER PROB.

Narrative

I ARRIVED IN PWM; ME; AT APPROX XF30 PM. THE PLANE WAS REFUELED AND TIED DOWN. I LEFT THE ARPT AND RETURNED AT XJ30 PM. I HAVE A WHITE CANVAS CANOPY COVER. I REMOVED THIS AND THEN OPENED THE PLANE TO GET A FLASHLIGHT FOR MY PREFLT. UPON CALLING GND; I WAS ASKED IF I HAD SPOKEN TO AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE. I SAID NO. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS SUPPOSED TO. I THEN RESTATED THAT I WAS A NEW PLT AND WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT; 'WHY WAS I TO HAVE SEEN AN FAA PERSON?' THE GND CTLR THEN ASKED IF I SAW A STICKER ON THE PLANE. I AGAIN STATED NO; BECAUSE I HAD ROLLED UP THE CANOPY CANVAS AND NEVER NOTICED THE STICKER DUE TO THE DARKNESS. IT WASN'T UNTIL I ARRIVED HOME AND WAS PUTTING THE CANOPY COVER ON; INSIDE THE LIGHTED HANGAR; THAT I FOUND THIS STICKER I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SEEN. AT THAT TIME THE EARLIER CONVERSATION WITH THE CTLR MADE SENSE. I ALSO REALIZED THAT WRITTEN ON THE STICKER WAS INSTRUCTIONS TO REPAIR THE PROP SPINNER AND NOT MOVE THE PLANE BECAUSE EVEN A FERRY PERMIT WOULD NOT BE ISSUED. (TOO LATE! WE WERE NOW AT THE HOME ARPT!) I BELIEVE THE PROB; IN TERMS OF THE STICKER PLACEMENT AND DARKNESS CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. I AM ALSO A NOVICE PLT; SO I'M STILL LEARNING PROC DETAILS. I HAD QUESTIONED THE CTLR AND DIDN'T STOP TO THINK I COULD HAVE ASKED MORE QUESTIONS IF I HAD KNOWN WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK! THE PLANE IS NOW BEING REPAIRED TO ALLEVIATE THE SPINNER PROB. ON AUG/XX/93 I CALLED THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE AND WE RESOLVED THE PROB SATISFACTORILY. HE AGREED ON THE PLACEMENT BEING POTENTIALLY UNSEEABLE AND UNDERSTOOD THE CONFUSION. I AM TO GET THE SPINNER REPLACED.