HELI PLT IS ASKED FOR CURRENT PHYSICAL PAPERWORK WHEN BRINGING HELI IN FOR 100 HR INSPECTION. HE THEN DISCOVERS HIS FLT PHYSICAL IS OVERDUE.

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I STARTED WORKING FOR COMPANY IN VAN NUYS; CA; IN THE LATTER PART OF APRIL OF 1997. ON MAY 1997; I WAS SENT TO THEIR SISTER COMPANY IN FAIRBANKS; AK; BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING DIFFICULTIES TRAINING PLTS FOR UPCOMING CONTRACTS. (LACK OF PLTS TO TRAIN.) WITH OVER 50 DRILLING PERSONNEL AND LABORERS TO BE BRIEFED AND ORGANIZED FOR A SAFE OP; INCLUDING PROPER SHUTTLE TECHNIQUES; HELIPAD IMPROVEMENTS; SAFE LONG LINE OPS; ETC; WITH ALL NEW FACES I SLOWLY BECAME ABSORBED IN MY NEW SURROUNDINGS. I WAS ALSO AVERAGING ABOUT 4 OR 5 HRS FLT PER DAY; AND ANSWERING UNLIMITED QUESTIONS. APPARENTLY THE OFFICE STAFF WAS JUST AS BUSY COVERING OTHER JOBS AND WERE NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE. AS A RESULT; WHEN I RETURNED TO FAIRBANKS IN JULY FOR A 100 HR INSPECTION ON MY ACFT; I WAS ASKED FOR A COPY OF MY LATEST FLT PHYSICAL. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I WAS OVERDUE. IN FACT; TOWARDS THE END OF MAY I HAD AN OFFICE WORKER SCHEDULE ME FOR A FLT PHYSICAL; BUT I WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE I HAD TO LEAVE FOR THE FIELD SOONER THAN EXPECTED. DURING MY TIME IN THE FIELD THE STAFF AT TUNDRA WAS ALSO VERY BUSY AND THOUGHT THAT I HAD GOTTEN MY PHYSICAL AS SCHEDULED. I IMMEDIATELY GOT A FLT PHYSICAL THAT AFTERNOON; BECAUSE I HAD TO RETURN TO THE CAMP THE NEXT MORNING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I THINK THE SIT OCCURRED BECAUSE NO ONE WAS PREPARED FOR THE FACT THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN QUALIFIED PLTS HAD BECOME AN ENDANGERED SPECIES; AS WELL AS MECHS; FOR THE OP REQUIRED. I BELIEVE THE COMPANY IS TAKING STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SUPPLY OF PLTS WILL MEET OR EXCEED THE DEMANDS OF THE CONTRACTS IN A MUCH MORE TIMELY FASHION IN THE FUTURE.