A PA28 IS OPERATED ON A TEST FLT WHICH LATER IS FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL BECAUSE THE LOGBOOK HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF BY A QUALIFIED INSPECTION AUTH MECH AT PAO; CA.

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SEVERAL WKS AGO; THIS ACFT WAS GNDED FOR MAINT ON THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR AND WING STRUCTURE. A PREVIOUS HARD LNDG HAD CAUSED VISIBLE DAMAGE ON THE TOP WING SURFACE; CREATING A TEAR IN THE WING SURFACE. THE MAINT SHOP PROCEEDED TO REPAIR THE WING; WING RIBS; AND GEAR ATTACHMENTS; ETC. ON NOV/THU/03; I WAS ASKED BY THE FLYING CLUB DIRECTOR/DIRECTOR OF MAINT AND THE MECH WHO HAD DONE THE WORK ON THE WING TO MAKE A TEST FLT OF THE ACFT PRIOR TO THE PLANE BEING RETURNED TO THE FLT LINE FOR CLUB MEMBERS TO RENT THE ACFT. THAT MORNING; MYSELF AND THE MECH WHO HAD PERFORMED THE WORK; FLEW THE ACFT FOR 1/2 HR IN THE TFC PATTERN AND JUST OUTSIDE THE PAO AIRSPACE TO DO OPS CHKS ON THE LNDG GEAR AND AUTOPLT. 3 DAYS LATER; IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT THIS WAS CONSIDERED A MAJOR REPAIR. AFTER REVIEWING THE FARS; I FOUND THAT THE MECH THAT PERFORMED THE WORK WAS NOT AUTH TO SIGN OFF THE REPAIR AND THAT I HAD FLOWN AN ACFT AFTER A MAJOR REPAIR WITHOUT HAVING THE MAINT LOGBOOKS COMPLETED AND SIGNED BY AN IA. IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY AS THE PIC TO DETERMINE THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT AND I HAD NOT CHKED BEYOND PERFORMING A VISUAL PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE MAINT LOGBOOKS. I WAS; HOWEVER; INFORMED BY BOTH THE CLUB DIRECTOR AND THE MECH WHO PERFORMED THE WORK THAT THE ACFT WAS READY FOR FLT. I TOOK THEIR WORD FOR THAT AND DIDN'T CHK THE LOGBOOKS. AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW; THE ACFT IS STILL GNDED UNTIL THE IA RETURNS TO SIGN THE LOGBOOKS. I; MYSELF; WILL NOT BE PERFORMING ANY MORE MAINT FLTS FOR THIS FLYING CLUB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 598765: I WENT ON A MAINT FLT WITH A FLT INSTRUCTOR AFTER COMPLETING A R WING LNDG GEAR/STRUCTURAL REPAIR WITH SUPERVISION FROM THE IA. AFTER COMPLETING THE MAINT FLT; I REALIZED THE LOGBOOKS WERE NOT SIGNED OFF BY THE IA. I ALSO REALIZED THE WORK DONE IS A MAJOR REPAIR AND MUST BE SIGNED OFF BY THE IA.