A TECHNICIAN WITH AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTION AUTH QUESTIONS THE FAA ON THE VALIDITY OF THE HELI H-700 HELI TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET.

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ON OCT/SUN/03; ONE OF OUR COMPANY ACFT WAS BROUGHT IN FOR ROUTINE MAINT (100 HR ANNUAL). THE ACFT LOGS AND PAPERWORK WERE IN ORDER; AND THE ACFT WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. THE ONLY DISCREPANCY OR 'SQUAWK' WAS A TAILWHEEL SHIMMY. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL; AS THE HELI SERIES HAS THIS INHERENT TRAIT. A NEW TIRE AND TUBE AND SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON THE TAILWHEEL SOLVED THIS DISCREPANCY. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC WITH SATISFACTORY RESULTS. SO; TIME GOES BY AND I HEAR THROUGH THE 'GRAPEVINE' THAT THE TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET WAS (FOR SOME REASON) NO LONGER VALID; AND CONSEQUENTLY WAS NO LONGER A 'VALID' ACFT. SO; I CALLED THE FAA AND COULDN'T GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE TCO (TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET) HAD BEEN PULLED FOR THIS SERIES ACFT. ANYWAY; I FINALLY ASKED THE FAA TO SEND ME A SAMPLE OF THE TCO ON THIS SERIES ACFT BY FAX; AND THEY DID. I HAVE A TCO SHEET THAT THEY SENT. ANYWAY; I ASKED THEM THAT IF THE TCO IS STILL ON RECORD; AND THAT; SINCE THIS INFO IS THE BASIS FOR COMPLIANCE; ARE WE 'GOOD TO GO' ON THIS ISSUE? THEY SAID 'YES; AS FAR AS WE KNOW.' (NOTE: I HAD SPOKEN TO A COUPLE OF 'FEDS' BEFORE I HAD GOTTEN TO SOMEONE WHO COULD GIVE ME ONLY A TENTATIVE SOUNDING ANSWER.) THE OTHER ITEM HERE IS THAT THE ACFT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A 'GEARED' ENG IN IT; AND LOOKING THROUGH THE PAPERWORK; THERE WAS DATA FOR A FIREWALL MODIFICATION FOR THIS ENG CONFIGN AND PROP COMBINATION THAT SEEMED TO BE IN ORDER; BUT I MAY HAVE MISSED THE EXACT ENG THAT THE TCO CALLED FOR IN THIS AIRFRAME. I THINK IT'S OK; AS THERE WAS LOTS OF PAPERWORK DOCUMENTING MANY MODIFICATIONS OVER THE YRS; AND THIS HAS BEEN FLYING FOR MANY YRS WITH NO INCIDENT; AND MANY PREVIOUS ANNUAL SIGNOFFS.