AN ATX HELI FLEW WITH OVERDUE MAINT REQUIRED.

Narrative

ON 2 SEPARATE FLTS; I OVERFLEW THE INSPECTION THAT WAS DUE ON THE SLIDE GUIDE PORTION OF THE XMISSION/ROTOR SYS. THE PLTS WERE INFORMED THAT OUR EMPLOYER HAD RELIEVED AN EXTENSION FOR THE REQUIRED INSPECTION. I AM FILING THIS NASA RPT TO DESCRIBE HOW I WAS MISLED BY MY EMPLOYER INTO BELIEVING I WAS FLYING AN AIRWORTHY ACFT. THE HELI I FLEW WAS AN XXX HELI. THE MAY/XX/94 MAINT FORECAST PRINTOUT FROM THE MAIN OFFICE INDICATED TO THE FLT AND MAINT DEPTS HERE AT OUR BASE; THAT (AMONG OTHERS) THE FOLLOWING INSPECTIONS WERE COMING DUE THAT MONTH: 600 HR INSPECTION (XMISSION) SLIDE GUIDE REPLACEMENT. LATER THAT MONTH; OUR BASE MAINT OFFICE WAS INFORMED BY PHONE; BY THE MAIN OFFICE; THAT THESE ITEMS HAD BEEN EXTENDED BY THE FAA. OUR LOGBOOKS WERE THEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS CHANGE; BY OUR BASE MECHS. ON MAY/XX/94; WE FLEW PAST THE ORIGINAL REPLACEMENT TIME FOR THE SLIDE GUIDE; AND WERE INFORMED ON JUN/XX/94 BY THE MAIN OFFICE; BY PHONE; THAT AN EXTENSION FOR THIS COMPONENT NEVER HAD BEEN GRANTED. THE PART WAS IMMEDIATELY REPLACED; BUT TODAY THE CHIEF PLT REMINDED ME THAT ON JUN/XX/94; I MADE FLTS IN THAT ACFT IN VIOLATION OF MAINT INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS TOTALING .7 HRS OF FLT. I AM NOT SURE HOW THIS ERROR CAME ABOUT AT THE MAIN OFFICE; BUT THE FAA IS LOOKING INTO IT NOW. THE MAINT DEPT HERE RELEASED; AND THE FLT DEPT HERE AT OUR BASE FLEW THE HELI IN GOOD FAITH; THINKING THAT THIS WAS AN AIRWORTHY ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 273908: I BELIEVE THIS WAS DUE TO POOR COMS BTWN THE FAA AND OUR MAINT DEPT. THIS EXTENSION WAS CONFIRMED BY ONSITE MECHS WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND THE ACFT LOGBOOK REFLECTED THE EXTENSION OF THE SEPARATE ITEMS. I BELIEVED WHAT I WAS SEEING IN THE LOGBOOK WAS TRUE AND LEGAL.