AN AERO COMMANDER 112RA WAS FLOWN IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION. UNAUTH TKOF.

Narrative

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A SHARE OF AN AIRPLANE. THIS WAS THE FIRST AIRPLANE I OWNED. THE PLANE WAS A COUPLE OF WKS OUT OF ANNUAL AND ABOUT 3 FLT HRS. IT WAS TAKEN TO A MECH TO CORRECT AN ENG MISS. A NEW IGNITION HARNESS WAS INSTALLED AND THE MISS CORRECTED. THE MECH COMMENTED THAT THE PLUGS WERE WORN BUT TESTED GOOD AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. SINCE THEY ONLY HAD 70 HRS; I DECLINED. HE ALSO SAID THE MAGNETO (DUAL) SHOULD BE REPLACED IF IT HAD OVER 500 HRS. I BELIEVE IT HAD ABOUT 700 HRS. SINCE THE MECH WHO HAD DONE THE ANNUAL HAD FOUND IT OK; I DECLINED THAT ALSO. I ARRANGED TO HAVE A CFI MEET ME ON THE DAY THE WORK WAS TO BE FINISHED. I TALKED WITH THE MECH THE MORNING THAT I WAS TO FLY TO MAKE SURE THE PLANE WOULD BE READY TO FLY THAT AFTERNOON WHEN THE CFI WAS THERE. HE SAID IT WOULD BE. AT THAT TIME HE ALSO TOLD ME THE MAGNETO POINTS WERE BURNED. THE WORK RAN LATE AND AFTER I PAID THE BILL HE SAID HE WOULD GIVE ME A STICKER TO PUT IN THE LOGBOOK; BUT HE WAS NOT RETURNING THE ACFT TO SVC. HE SAID THAT I COULD DO WHAT I WANT WITH THE STICKER; BUT THAT HE KEEPS A COPY FOR HIS RECORDS AND I SIGNED HIS COPY. I DID NOT READ THE ENTIRE STICKER AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THIS MEANT THE PLANE WAS NOT AIRWORTHY. I ASSUMED THAT THE ITEMS LISTED WERE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THAT AS PIC; I COULD DETERMINE IF IT WAS SAFE TO FLY. SINCE THE PLANE HAD BEEN DEEMED AIRWORTHY A COUPLE OF WKS AND ABOUT 3 FLT HRS EARLIER; I DEEMED THE ACFT TO BE AIRWORTHY AND SUBSEQUENTLY FLEW IT. LATER; WHEN TALKING WITH OTHER PLTS; THEY THOUGHT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE. I CALLED AOPA TO GET THEIR OPINION; WHICH WAS THAT I HAD IN FACT FLOWN AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT. THE PLANE WAS THEN PARKED AND WILL NOT BE FLOWN UNTIL FOUND AIRWORTHY BY AN A&P.