What is an I/A responsible for???

[Pearson]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

Not too long winded at all. I enjoyed hearing all the different stories. I have always admired the I/As who have done my annuals. Now I have a newfound respect for them and all you other I/As out there.

[Guest]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

About 15 years ago I knew a guy (I/A) that purchased and used one of those I/A computer programs and data base services.

I don't recall which one he purchased. But to use it you had to enter in all the a/c info and all the appliance info as well.

You entered things like magneto model and manufacturer, prop, mag switch, carb, tail wheel... and the program did some comparisons checking for appliance AD's and perhaps for conformity.

It was pretty neat but too expensive for me since I mainly do major repairs not annuals so much.

Dave

[LostnSpace]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

Would one then be required to postpone the inspection until the FAA CD arrives?

I work at a repair station - sort of a large one - there is a records deparment, I go in there give the guy $3.50 and a flash drive, N number and serial number, 30 minutes later the flash drive is laying on my toolbox and all the FAA data is on it, as long as I don't loose it, it works smooth as glass, gary

[Guest]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

Would one then be required to postpone the inspection until the FAA CD arrives?

I work at a repair station - sort of a large one - there is a records deparment, I go in there give the guy $3.50 and a flash drive, N number and serial number, 30 minutes later the flash drive is laying on my toolbox and all the FAA data is on it, as long as I don't loose it, it works smooth as glass, gary

I would postpone the annual until I got the data. The alternative is do it wrong and then sweat out losing your I/A like the other man on the forum is doing now. Not worth it to me.

Gary, why do you have to pay for data to do your job at work? Did I misunderstand?

Dave

[astjp2]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

The annual is only good for the day it is signed off. I am not responsible for modifications an owner/operator does after I sign off the annual but the FAA will expect you to claim that it was in compliance when the annual was signed off. Another thing, an aircraft DOES NOT have to be exactly the same as the factory, there are many minor modifications that you can perform many of these modification with a log book entry (screws/hardware/anything not listed specifically as a major modification or in the type cert.). The type certificate data sheet is your compliance document since we do not have an MEL or other documents like some of the newer aircraft have. I also inspect the log books, so I can verify what has been done and can be identifed by a visual inspection. I will check for items that wear and determine how long they should last for. If they will last the 8 hours the pilot will fly the airplane in the next year, then I will let it go. If the aircraft has an item due within the next year, then I just document it in the logs and being due on such and such a date or within so many hours. This complies with the annual inspeciton AT THE TIME IT IS SIGNED OFF! Not 6 months and 500 hours from now...Tim

[LostnSpace]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

I left something out, when I go the the records department, it is for my "side/evening" jobs, the work done in the shop is all handled by other departments, when "they" are finished with reviewing the paperwork and maintenence records, then it shows up on a computer program, technology is amazing. Needed some silicon heat transfer paste for a Rotax engine, got on Grainger website, found the pn, hit chat, someone tells me which store has it, how many, if I'll be there by 4PM, she'll reserve it for me, what will happen if computers are knocked off line and cell phones don't work?, gary

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

It will be like 1946 again and our age planes will be the only ones still flying.
Hank

[LostnSpace]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

It will be like 1946 again and our age planes will be the only ones still flying.
Hank

After working with turbocharged Cirrus's and turbocharged Mooney's it is nice to look in the engine compartment of a Tcraft, gary

[swoeric]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

Have an IA many years back that signed off on an annual.. plane was kept a farmers house. several months later the farmer crashed due to poor piloting of a dead engine.. the fuel cap had been replaced with a tractor version and without a vent.... after inspection of farm equipment a tractor was missing its fuel cap.... the faa and lawyers still punished the IA claiming that he should have seen it... even after the fact without proof it went in to annual with or without it

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

That would have never made it through a court case. Too bad a regulatory agency doesn't have to use the courts and can pass out punishment based on what the regulator want to do, not on any reasonable proof of poor judgement by the IA.

Unfortunately, the IA was in the same place we all are when dealing with something like the IRS. It doesn't matter if you are guilty or innocent. It just matters if they want to get you. I would bet the IA had made someone mad in the FAA and he got retaliation from someone there. There are MANY good people at the FAA (almost all of them), but like everywhere, there are also some bad ones.

Hank

[louiswp]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

Just ran across this thread, I am the IA in question that started this topic. I have been doing lots of research lately. I have had my A&P for 22 years and IA for 15, owned an FBO and average 70 annuals a year. I even get flown to Alaska each year to work on Taylorcrafts and super cubs. All the Taylorcrafts I work on has tanks in both wings and are legal I know now. the one I annualed the tanks have been in for at least 12 years cause it hasn't been covered since then. I assumed that was standard for the taylorcraft cause I didn't ever see another TC without that setup. The TC is about as basic as you can get. no electrical, Avionics etc. I subscribe to TData for all my records so I have all the updated TCD's AD's service bulletins FARs AC43.13.. $800 a year not to mention $9k in liability insurance and a few more thousand for calibration of all my equipment
plus I work for the largest helicopter operation in the world. So safety and airworthy is my highest priority and every customer of mine is a friend. I fly all of their aircraft so if its not correct I fix it. problem was if it looked like a new install I would of caught it. I assumed the last 32 inspectors would of caught the fuel system which again I never questioned. The BC models has note 2 for the left tank as an AUX option. my BL also had the Continental (legal) swap also. problem was at the accident site on the owners land, the owner installed a bunch of stuff that caught the Feds eye. GPS mounted to dash and antenna to brace bar above panel, A home made baggage compartment and also he ran auto fuel. all after the annual. So the fed dug deeper and he stumbled on the fuel system by noticing a line looked newer. he was focusing on fuel issues anyhow. ended up being ruled carb ice. I have discovered my fed as an IA was working for a local FBO as my competitor years ago. he was also in hot water for doing fabric wrong on an aircraft. I think its revenge. I have grounded four planes since for illegal pilot stuff mounted in the cockpit. My fed also wrote up the scat tubing was unairworthy for tears in the hose. No **** it fell through the trees and destroyed the cowl and all the attach points for the tubing. I guess at annual I missed in the TCD's where it states a tree isn't part of the fuselage either. I should of caught that big hole in the side. still don't know if these tanks are legal yet cause they could of been in there since the late 40's and hard telling how the pre FAA record keeping was. I told the feds that I will be submitting lots of paperwork for them on the illegal stuff I find from other IA's when I do my annuals. I figure about 10 items every annual. and yes dirty safety wire isn't allowed either. I will keep everyone posted on the outcome

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

Sounds like Louis is the kind of IA we want more of. Please keep us up on what happens and FOR SURE let us know of anything you see on an annual that we can all go out and look for on our planes. Sharing problems will keep us alive.
Paper doesn't make a plane fly, but illegal changes (even if safe) or not documenting changes can make trying to fly not worth the effort any more. We have ALL got to put safety first, but GET THE PAPER RIGHT TOO! As a group we can solve most of these kinds of problems.

Hank

[louiswp]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

Ok guys here is an update, I lost my IA after over 15 years of having it. In the report the FAA has letters from the owner stating he adjusted and did things to the aircraft after I annualed it. so instead of 3 things that could of been better he had a whole list of items that went against me after I annualed the aircraft. FAA even had photos from the crash showing the cowl smashed and carb heat linkage sticking out and bent. so between the owner and the crash I was blamed for many things. the owner also misplaced the AD list that was done at the annual and I was hit for not doing the AD's. so no AD's, bent and torn items from the crash, elt removed by owner, added items by owner after the annual like panel mounted handheld GPS, also the FAA had said the airspeed indicator was a Cessna model and no records of it being installed. funny thing is I took a picture of it and it does not say Cessna or any model of Cessna on the indicator. the brand is written on the indicator face plane as day and it does not say Cessna. so even though the stuff was reported to be done by the owner and obvious items from the crash I had my IA revoked without any facts being heard. I can do an appeal but it is expensive. attorney 10K plus and the NTSB judges are expensive. Lost IA for a year then I can retest and apply again. in the mean time I lose the customers I have to prove myself. the NTSB has not overturned a case in the past year according to their records. the fuel tank issue I found they were installed in 1995 and of course not the proper paperwork so I took the hit for the past 15 IA's that signed off this aircraft. So what is an IA responsible for? everything no matter how long after the annual and for what an owner does to his airplane after the annual, unless you have lots of money to prove otherwise. I will post this on a new thread also. its bulls*** Raymond Peterson is the FAA person

[N96337]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

So sorry to hear that Louis. Sounds like a bunch of BS to me too!! I once ripped my "annual signoff" out of a guy's books after I caught him taking one of his mags apart "to see how it worked" just a couple days after the inspection. I'd already talked to my PMI about it and was following his advice. It sucks bigtime that we are the ones that it's the easiest to dump that garbage on, so we get it done to us. I don't blame you for being mad...I know I sure would be!! Hang in there, and keep us updated on this please.
John

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: What is an I/A responsible for???

I think maybe it would be better in future to write across the log entry that the Annual had been voided than to tear the page out. I would CERTAINLY not allow my signature to stand!
A bold note across the page with a felt tip pen would do more than tearing out the page and would really throw up some red flags to the next person to look at the plane. Destruction of part of the owners logs could really let you in for a law suit couldn't it?

Hank