AIR TAXI OP DEFERS MAINT BELIEVING THAT TIME WAS EXTENDED. IT WAS NOT.
Synopsis
AIR TAXI OP DEFERS MAINT BELIEVING THAT TIME WAS EXTENDED. IT WAS NOT.
Narrative
I AM FILING THIS NASA RPT TO DESCRIBE HOW I WAS MISLED BY MY COMPANY INTO BELIEVING I WAS FLYING AN AIRWORTHY ACFT. THE HELI I FLEW WAS A ZZZ 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 WERE 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 GLIDE; AND WERE INFORMED IN JUNE 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 MAY/XX/94; MAY/XX/94; AND JUNE/XX/94; I MADE FLTS IN THAT ACFT IN VIOLATION OF MAINT INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS. FLTS: 5/A 3 PATIENT RETRIEVAL FLTS FROM AND BACK TO X; A TOTAL OF 2.6 HRS OF FLT TIME. 5/B 2 PATIENT RETRIEVAL FLTS FROM AND BACK TO X A TOTAL OF 2.8 HRS OF FLT TIME; AND 1 FAR 135 INSTR CHK-RIDE WITH OUR COMPANY CHK AIRMAN; WITH A TOTAL OF 1.0 HRS OF FLT TIME. 6/C 3 PATIENT RETRIEVAL FLTS FROM; AND BACK TO X TOTAL FLT TIME: 3.2 HRS; AND 1 FERRY FLT OF 1.0 HR FROM X TO Y AND BACK. 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.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.