THE PLT OF AN AA5 WAS SENT TO SIG TO PICK UP AN ACFT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAD MAJOR MAINT COMPLETED ON IT. HE DISCOVERED THAT THE MAINT HAD NOT BEEN DONE; BUT THE PAPERWORK HAD BEEN FALSIFIED TO SHOW THAT IT HAD. THE PLT REPAIRED THE ACFT AS HE THOUGHT IT NEEDED THEN HE FLEW IT BACK TO ITS HOME BASE WHERE HE DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD MISSED SOME NON AIRWORTHINESS ITEMS.

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ON NOV/XA/97 I WAS SENT TO SAN JUAN; PR; TO PERFORM A FUEL TANK REPAIR ON A GRUMMAN AA5 TRAVELER AT THE ISLA GRANDE ARPT. I WAS TO REPAIR THE FUEL TANK AND THEN FLY THE ACFT BACK TO MY BASE AT I62 FOR THE OWNER. THE ACFT HAD JUST HAD A BUNCH OF WORK DONE TO IT BY AN A&P MECH; INCLUDING; BUT NOT LIMITED TO; AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND THE ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE READY TO GO. WHEN I ARRIVED AT ISLA GRANDE; I FOUND THAT THE ACFT WAS IN POOR CONDITION; AND STARTED ASSESSING WHETHER OR NOT I THOUGHT I WOULD FLY IT OR NOT. I SPENT 2 1/2 DAYS WORKING STEADILY ON THE AIRPLANE; DOING SOME SMALL AND SOME LARGE ITEMS. I REPAIRED THE FUEL TANK LEAK; AND THE A&P PRODUCED THE LOGBOOKS; SIGNING OFF THE ANNUAL. I THEN REALIZED THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS ITEMS WHICH THEY MISSED; AND STARTED TO FIX THESE. IT CAME TO ME THAT THE INSPECTOR ACFT (IA) HAD PROBABLY NEVER SEEN THE ACFT; AND HAD SIGNED OFF THE ANNUAL SIGHT UNSEEN. SEVERAL AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES WERE NOT COMPLIED WITH OR SIGNED OFF WHICH WERE DUE. I PERFORMED ALL OF THE MAINT WHICH I FELT WAS REQUIRED TO BRING THE ACFT TO A LEVEL OF AIRWORTHINESS WHICH I FELT WAS REQUIRED; AND WE FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES AFTER ALL THE PAPERWORK WAS CORRECTLY DONE. UPON ARRIVING IN OHIO; AND A WK LATER; WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AT THE ACFT MORE CLOSELY. I REALIZED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL ITEMS WHICH I HAD MISSED WHICH ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT AIRWORTHINESS/SAFETY ITEMS; AND ALTHOUGH THE PR IA HAD SIGNED THEM OFF; HAD NEVER BEEN DONE. SINCE I HAD FLOWN THE ACFT AS PIC; I AM AFRAID THAT THE ACFT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TRULY AIRWORTHY IN THE MECHANICAL SENSE; AND DEFINITELY NOT IN THE PAPERWORK SENSE. THE MECH IN PR SIMPLY SIGNED THE PLANE OFF TO GET THE CUSTOMER'S MONEY AND DID NOT CARE ABOUT OUR AIRWORTHINESS OR SAFETY. HE WAS WORKING OUT OF HIS CAR WITH NO PLACE OF BUSINESS ON AN ARPT; AND HE WAS TELLING PEOPLE THAT HE DID. THIS PRACTICE LEADS TO MARGINAL WORK BEING DONE; ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE MECHS THERE ARE COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER BASED ON PRICE AND MANY OF THEM DO NOT HAVE A FIXED BASE OF OP.