PIPER CHIEFTAIN PLT FLEW ACFT WHEN THE AILERON CTL WAS OUT OF PLAY LIMITS DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE WRONG BOLT SIZE.

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ON APR/XA/01; I WAS IN ZZZ; US; PICKING UP PAX FOR A TRIP OUT TO ZZZ; FO AT XA00. I WAS APCHED BY AN INSPECTOR. HE PULLED UP IN HIS CAR AND GOT OUT AND IDENTED HIMSELF; SHOWED HIS CREDENTIALS AND TOLD ME THAT HE WANTED TO GIVE ME A RAMP INSPECTION AND I COMPLIED. HE ASKED ME WHO I WAS; WHOM I WORKED FOR AND IF THIS WAS A PART 135 FLT. AFTER ANSWERING HIS QUESTIONS; HE ASKED ME IF THIS WAS MRS X'S AND MR X'S ACFT. I SAID 'YES' AND HE REPLIED THAT 'I KNOW THEM.' HE ASKED ME HOW THEY WERE DOING; AND HOW WELL THE COMPANY WAS DOING. I REPLIED THAT 'WE ARE NOW GETTING BUSY BECAUSE THE SEASON WAS HERE.' I SHOWED HIM MY PLT'S LICENSE; MEDICAL CERTIFICATE; THE ACFT'S AIRWORTHINESS AND REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE AND THE CHARTER OPERATOR'S NUMBER. ALL THE PAPERWORK WAS IN ORDER. AS HE WAS WRITING DOWN THE INFO THAT I HAD SUPPLIED; I WENT INSIDE TO USE THE RESTROOM AND THEN FINISHED LOADING THE REST OF THE PAX AND THEIR BELONGINGS. WHEN I FINISHED; I WALKED BACK OVER TO HIM WHERE HE WAS WALKING AROUND THE ACFT. AS I APCHED HIM; HE SAID 'WE MAY HAVE A PROB HERE.' I WALKED OVER TO HIM AND HE WIGGLED THE L AILERON. HE FELT THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF PLAY IN THE AILERON AND THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A PROB. I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE AILERON. SINCE THERE WAS DOUBT IN MY MIND AS TO WHETHER THIS 'PLAY' WAS A PROB; AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPANY OPS PROCS; I TELEPHONED MAINT. WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MAINT; THE INSPECTOR ASKED ANOTHER MECH'S OPINION ON THE AILERON. NEITHER THE INSPECTOR NOR THE MECH COULD DETERMINE WHAT THE PROB WAS AND IF A PROB EVEN EXISTED. I ASKED THE INSPECTOR TO TALK TO MAINT. THE INSPECTOR ASKED US IF WE KNEW THE 'PLAY LIMITS' ON THE AILERON. MAINT WOULD LOOK THIS UP IN THE PIPER MAINT MANUAL FOR GUIDANCE AND CALL US BACK. IN THE MEANTIME; THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT 'THE BALL WAS IN MY COURT' AS TO WHETHER I WANTED TO FLY THE TRIP OR NOT. HE SAID THAT HE NEEDED TO LEAVE. HE GAVE ME HIS NAME AND NUMBER. HE GAVE THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS: 'WHEN YOU GET BACK TONIGHT; HAVE THE MECH CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW IF THERE WAS A PROB.' ALSO; 'BE SURE THAT YOU WRITE THIS UP IN THE DISCREPANCY LOG AS 'EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE L AILERON;' THEN HAVE THE MECH SIGN IT BACK INTO SVC.' I REPLIED THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION THAT IT WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY LOOKED INTO ONCE I RETURNED BACK TO ZZZ; US. I ALSO STATED THAT MAINT WAS RESEARCHING THE LIMITATIONS OF THE AMOUNT OF PLAY ALLOWED ACCORDING TO THE MAINT MANUAL. I TOLD THE INSPECTOR THAT 'IF WE ARE STILL HERE WHEN YOU RETURN LATER THEN WE'VE FOUND A PROB WITH THE ACFT. IF YOU DON'T SEE US THEN THE ACFT WAS SAFE FOR THE FLT AND YOU WOULD BE GETTING A CALL FROM MAINT TONIGHT.' WHILE I WAITED FOR MAINT TO CALL; I DECIDED TO MEASURE THE PLAY IN THAT AILERON. I TOOK THE MEASUREMENT AT THE AILERON'S FARTHEST OUTBOARD POINT ALONG THE TRAILING EDGE (IE; THE GREATEST POSSIBLE AREA FOR MOVEMENT). THE MOVEMENT FROM THE MOST UPPER TO THE FARTHEST DOWNWARD DEFLECTION OF THE PLAY; USING THE TOP SURFACE OF THE WING AS A GUIDE; WAS ONLY 3/16 INCH. APPROX 15 MINS LATER; MAINT CALLED ME BACK. I TOLD HIM MY FINDINGS. THE PIPER CHIEFTAIN MAINT MANUAL DOES NOT PROVIDE LIMITATIONS FOR PLAY IN THE AILERON. WE BOTH FELT THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH PIPER'S GUIDANCE; A DISCREPANCY DID NOT EXIST AND THERE WAS NO THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. JOINTLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY. I DEPARTED THE ARPT AND CONTINUED THE REST OF THE FLT THAT WAS NOW 45 MINS DELAYED. THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I LANDED BACK AT ZZZ; US; AT XD30. I TAXIED BACK TO PARKING WHERE MAINT MET ME. MAINT INFORMED ME THAT THE ZZZ; US; DISTRICT INSPECTOR HAD TRAVELED TO ZZZ; US; AND WAS WAITING TO INSPECT THE ACFT. MAINT TAXIED THE ACFT BACK TO THE HANGAR. I DROVE BACK TO THE HANGAR AND FINISHED THE REST OF MY PAPERWORK FROM THE FLT. AT THIS TIME I MADE THE ACFT LOG ENTRY AS INSTRUCTED BY THE INSPECTOR. IN THE MEANTIME; MAINT INSPECTED THE PLANE AND DETERMINED THAT ALTHOUGH THE AILERON PLAY WAS INDEED LESS THAN 3/16 OF AN INCH; IT WAS CAUSED BY THEUSE OF AN INCORRECT AILERON BOLT. HE THEN CHANGED THE BOLT. THE INSPECTOR CAME TO THE HANGAR ABOUT 10 MINS LATER. HE ASKED ME ABOUT THE TRIP AND THE WX AT ZZZ; FO. THE 3 OF US TALKED ABOUT THE COMPANY. MAINT SHOWED THE INSPECTOR THE BOLT THAT WAS THE WRONG SIZE; AND THEY PROCEEDED INTO THE OFFICE WHERE THEY TALKED FOR ABOUT 10 MINS. BOTH RETURNED AND ASKED ME TO JOIN THEM. THE INSPECTOR INFORMED ME THAT MAINT WAS GOING TO WRITE A NOTE STATING THAT HE WAS GOING TO TURN OVER THE PARTS (1 BOLT AND 1 CTL ROD END) TO THE INSPECTOR'S CUSTODY THAT WERE TO BE USED IN THE INVESTIGATION. THE INSPECTOR ASKED ME TO SIGN MY NAME AS A WITNESS TO HIM RECEIVING THE PARTS. THE INSPECTOR THEN BEGAN TO TELL MAINT AND I THAT IN THE FUTURE WE SHOULD PAY MORE ATTN WHEN AN INSPECTOR POINTS OUT A POTENTIAL PROB. HE ASKED ME IF I WAS PURSUING AN AVIATION CAREER AND IF SO HE COULD MAKE MY LIFE 'HELL.' HE THEN TURNED TO MAINT AND TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE GETTING A CERTIFIED LETTER IN THE MAIL AND ONCE HE GOT IT THE BEST THING FOR HIM TO DO IS TO COOPERATE. THE VERY NEXT DAY; I DEPARTED ZZZ; US; FOR 2 SEPARATE TRIPS. UPON MY RETURN TO ZZZ; US; I WAS GREETED BY INSPECTOR A AND INSPECTOR B. THEY ASKED FOR COPIES OF THE ACFT FLT LOG; MY LICENSE; AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THEY ASKED WHEN I WROTE IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK; AND WHAT THE COMPANY'S POLICY IS FOR WRITING DISCREPANCIES. AT THAT TIME; I WAS ASKED TO WRITE THIS STATEMENT.