AN AERO COMMANDER WAS OPERATED WITH BOTH PROPS OUT OF TIME FOR AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE INSPECTION.

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I WAS RECENTLY HIRED AT BBB AT ZZZ. BBB IS A PART 135; ON-DEMAND CHARTER OP. I STARTED FLT TRAINING ON THE COMPANY AERO COMMANDER ON APR/XX/97. THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT AT THE TIME WAS XYZ (A&P). ON THE DAY I STARTED TRAINING; THE HARTZELL PROPS HAD 1014.2 HRS TIME ON THEM. XYZ HAD PREVIOUSLY SIGNED OFF AN AIRWORTHY RELEASE DATED APR/XA/97 (PROP TIMES AT 1005.3 HRS) GUARANTEEING THAT ALL MAINT AND AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH. HE WAS IN DAILY CONTACT WITH THE ACFT AND THE OWNER (MR ABC) AND NEVER MENTIONED ANY PROB CONCERNING THE PROPS. XYZ WAS IN POSSESSION OF THE ACFT LOGBOOKS INCLUDING THE PROP LOGS DURING THIS TIME. I PASSED MY PART 135 CHK RIDE WITH AN FAA EXAMINER ON APR/XB/97. AT THAT TIME THE PROPS HAD 1017.0 HRS ON THEM. I HAVE BEEN FLYING THIS ACFT EVER SINCE. MR XYZ WAS FIRED AS DIRECTOR OF MAINT IN MID-MAY 1997. HE HELD THE ACFT LOGBOOKS HOSTAGE UNTIL WORKING OUT SEPARATION PAY FROM MR ABC. WHEN MR ABC FINALLY RETRIEVED THE LOGBOOKS ON JUN/XX/97; HE TOLD MR ABC THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A PROB WITH OVERFLYING A PROP AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. WHEN I RETURNED THE ACFT TO ZZZ ON JUN/AA/97; MR ABC PROMPTLY INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD INVESTIGATED A RECURRING HARTZELL PROP AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE AND HAD CONCLUDED THAT MR XYZ HAD FAILED TO RPT OR COMPLY WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. MR ABC INFORMED ME THAT THE ACFT WAS TO BE GROUNDED IMMEDIATELY AND THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WOULD BE COMPLIED WITH. AT THAT TIME THE PROPS HAD 1074.8 HRS ON THEM AND APPARENTLY SHOULD HAVE HAD THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE INSPECTION AT 1000.0 HRS. FBO OF XXX PROMPTLY SENT 2 MECHS TO ZZZ TO REMOVE THE PROPS AND THEY PERFORMED A COMPLETE PROP OVERHAUL AT THEIR SHOP. THE PROPS HAVE SINCE BEEN REMOUNTED AND 'ZERO-TIMED.'