AEROBATIC TRAINEE PLT OF CHAMPION CITABRIA RPTS TO THE COMPANY MECH ABOUT A FAULTY APPEARING TAILWHEEL SPRING AND IS ADVISED THAT IT WILL BE REPLACED WHEN THE NEW SPRING IS RECEIVED. MECHANIC SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK SQUAWK. THE FLT IS CANCELED DUE TO WX AND THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR GNDS THE ACFT BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY SPRING.

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NOTHING 'BAD' HAPPENED BECAUSE THE FLT DID NOT TAKE PLACE; BUT IT WAS DUMB LUCK. I HAD A SLEEPLESS NIGHT THE PREVIOUS EVENING AND KNEW I WASN'T AT MY SHARPEST. I WOULD HAVE CANCELED THE FLT IF IT HADN'T BEEN A TRAINING FLT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR. I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT EARLY TO PREFLT AND SIGNED OUT THE PLANE. OOPS; THERE WAS AN OPEN SQUAWK ABOUT THE SPRING ON THE TAILWHEEL BEING INCORRECTLY SEATED. I WENT TO THE MAINT SHOP AND ASKED A RANDOM MECH ABOUT IT. HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE; 'OH YEAH; WE HAVEN'T INSTALLED THE NEW SPRINGS YET. IT'LL TAKE 30 MINS BUT THE SPRINGS IN PLACE ARE STILL SVCABLE.' THEN HE OFFERED TO CLR THE SQUAWK. I ACCEPTED AND PROCEEDED TO DO THE PREFLT; REMOVING FUEL; ETC. NOTED THE SPRING ON THE TAILWHEEL WAS SEATED WEIRDLY; BUT ASSUMED IT WAS OK SINCE THE MECH OK'ED IT. WE WOUND UP NOT MAKING THE FLT FOR AN UNRELATED REASON -- CEILINGS WERE TOO LOW IN THE PRACTICE AREA; DESPITE CONTRARY INDICATIONS IN MY 3 HR OLD BRIEFING AND SKY CLR CONDITIONS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT; 'BUT' I TRUSTED THE MECH AND MY INSTRUCTOR WOULD HAVE TRUSTED ME; AND WE COULD HAVE LOST CTL ON LNDG. AS WE WERE PUTTING THINGS AWAY; THE CLUB'S CHIEF GND INSTRUCTOR ASKED IF WE HAD FLOWN DESPITE HIS SQUAWK. WHEN I TOLD HIM THE MECH CLRED IT SIGHT UNSEEN; HE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN 'TALKING' TO THE MECH. WE TOOK ANOTHER LOOK AT THE SPRING; AND IT REALLY DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT. AND I'M USUALLY DOWNRIGHT 'PARANOID' ON MY PREFLT; HAVING SQUAWKED PLANES FOR LESS SERIOUS PROBS. IT REALLY CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.