PLT OF AN SMA TWIN FAILS TO HAVE THE ACFT ORIGINAL AIRWORTHINESS AND REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES ABOARD THE ACFT WHEN RE-ENTERING THE UNITED STATES.

Date: 1995-04 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

PLT OF AN SMA TWIN FAILS TO HAVE THE ACFT ORIGINAL AIRWORTHINESS AND REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES ABOARD THE ACFT WHEN RE-ENTERING THE UNITED STATES.

Narrative

ON APR/FRI/95 I FLEW WITH SOME FRIENDS TO SAN FELIPE; MEXICO BC (MMSF). THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. ON APR/SUN/95 I COULD NOT FIND THE AIRPLANE STANDARD AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND CERTIFICATE OF ACFT REGISTRATION. I CONCLUDED THEY HAD BEEN LOST OF STOLEN. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE FAA BUT THEY WERE CLOSED. MY OTHER REASONABLE IDEA WAS TO HAVE THE FBO IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE I RENTED THE ACFT; FAX ME A COPY. THEY DID AND I DEPARTED FOR THE UNITED STATES. UPON LNDG AT CALEXICO; CA (KCXL). I WAS FINED BY CUSTOMS $5;000.00 AND NOW HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY ARE NOTIFYING THE FAA AND I CAN EXPECT ENFORCEMENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME POLICY REGARDING THIS. I FOLLOWED EVERY CUSTOMS LAW (IE; FILED AN ADCUS; UPDATED THE ADCUS VIA TELEPHONE AND AIR-TO-GND COMS; HAD SEVERAL TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH CUSTOMS BEFORE THE FLT AND NOW I'M FACING UP TO $10;000 IN FINES AND SUSPENSION OF MY PLT CERTIFICATE. MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN MEXICO. THE DOCUMENTS WERE FOUND BY THE HOTEL AND SENT TO US VIA MAIL.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.