A REPAIR STATION IA LEAD MECHANIC IS INFORMED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT THREE CESSNA C208B ACFT (SIX ALTIMETERS TOTAL) WERE CERTIFIED WITH A MASTER ALTIMETER THAT WAS OUT OF CALIBRATION.

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DURING AN FAA INSPECTION; THE INSPECTOR NOTED THAT 3 ACFT (6 ALTIMETERS TOTAL) WERE CERTIFIED WITH A MASTER ALTIMETER THAT WAS OUT OF CALIBRATION. THE MASTER ALTIMETER WAS CALIBRATED ON JUL/XA/07. THE 3 ACFT HAD ALTIMETER CERTIFICATIONS DONE ON AUG/XB/07; AUG/XC/07; AND AUG/XD/07. I USED THE MASTER ALTIMETER BELIEVING IT WAS IN CALIBRATION UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH THAT IT BECAME DUE. HOWEVER; DURING THE INSPECTION; THE FAA INSPECTOR POINTED OUT THAT MECHANICAL MASTER ALTIMETERS NEED TO BE CALIBRATED EVERY 30 DAYS UNLESS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FOR LONGER SVC TIMES. THE FAA INSPECTOR AND I WERE LOOKING THROUGH THE RECORDS OF ALL OUR ALTIMETER CERTIFICATIONS WHEN THIS ERROR WAS DISCOVERED. OUR REPAIR STATION RECEIVED THE LIMITED RATING TO CERTIFY ALTIMETERS IN 2007. ONCE THIS ERROR WAS DISCOVERED; WE IMMEDIATELY INSPECTED ALL CERTIFICATION RECORDS FOR FURTHER ALTIMETER INSPECTION ERRORS. OTHER THAN THE 3 LISTED ABOVE; NONE WERE FOUND. THESE 3 ACFT WERE IMMEDIATELY GROUNDED UNTIL FRESH ALTIMETER CERTIFICATIONS WERE COMPLETED. 2 ACFT WERE ON BASE AND ALTIMETER CERTIFICATIONS WERE COMPLETED WITHIN 12 HRS. THE 3RD ACFT WAS GROUNDED AT OUTSTATION AND THE ALTIMETER CERTIFICATIONS WERE COMPLETED WITHIN 24 HRS. COUNSELING FROM THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS PERFORMED ON SITE ABOUT MASTER ALTIMETER CERTIFICATION RULES AND REGS. WE ARE IMPLEMENTING PROCS TO TAG EACH MASTER ALTIMETER WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE UPON ARR FROM THE CERTIFICATION SHOP AND TO TRACK EACH MASTER ALTIMETER IN SEPARATE TRACKING SYS. IN THIS SITUATION; THE INITIAL FACTOR THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROB WAS THE FACT THAT I BELIEVED THAT CALIBRATED EQUIP WAS GOOD UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH THAT THE CALIBRATIONS WERE DUE. I HAVE SINCE BEEN COUNSELED ON THIS ISSUE AND THE ABOVE PROCS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO DETER SUCH BELIEFS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THEIR REPAIR STATION HAS A LIMITED RATING TO CALIBRATE PNEUMATIC TYPE ALTIMETERS. TO GET A LIMITED RATING; THE REPAIR STATION HAS TO PROVE THEY HAVE THE REQUIRED TOOLS; MANUALS AND TRAINING FOR EACH TYPE OF ACFT EQUIPMENT THEY ARE RATED FOR. THE ACFT ALTIMETERS ONLY REQUIRE A CALIBRATION TEST EVERY 24 MONTHS COMPARED TO EVERY 30 DAYS FOR THE MECHANICAL MASTER ALTIMETER. THE MASTER AND ACFT'S ALTIMETER ARE HOOKED UP IN PARALLEL TO A COMMON SOURCE TO VERIFY THE ACFT'S ALTIMETER IS READING CORRECT ALTITUDE.