FAA violations and accidents

Dave Stadt wrote:
: There are very few FAA people that can tell an airworthy airframe from one
: that is unairworthy. They can look over paperwork but beyond that don't
: expect much..

... and if you look hard enough at *ANY* aircraft, you will conclude that it
unairworthy. One piece of non MIL-spec'd heat shrink tubing or wire end. One
lightbulb gotten at AutoZone rather than a PMA'd one. That one screw on the spinner
that wasn't torqued with a calibrated torque wrench. The list is long, but in true
leagaleaze, anything not done according to approved data is unacceptable.

I've heard horror stories about going to the FSDO for a CFI-checkride and
having the FAA droids comb over your aircraft. Alegedly one guy came in with a
plane that had a pin-head sized air bubble in the wet compass that couldn't be seen
without putting your head down on the floor and looking up at it. *POOF* unairworthy
(no air is acceptable). If you're lucky they'll let you ferry it home.

Again, "We're with the FAA and we're here to help..."

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

Sure, we have all heard those stories, and I have been a victim of a similar
case of the letter over any sense whatsoever type of judgement.

However, NOT AT A PACE EVENT.

And, that is what's important. The FAA gives you can opportunity to get
their opinion with no penalty, so you can pencil whip or fix problems on
your own time without being grounded.



wrote in message
...
Dave Stadt wrote:
: There are very few FAA people that can tell an airworthy airframe from
one
: that is unairworthy. They can look over paperwork but beyond that don't
: expect much..

... and if you look hard enough at *ANY* aircraft, you will conclude that
it
unairworthy. One piece of non MIL-spec'd heat shrink tubing or wire end.
One
lightbulb gotten at AutoZone rather than a PMA'd one. That one screw on
the spinner
that wasn't torqued with a calibrated torque wrench. The list is long,
but in true
leagaleaze, anything not done according to approved data is unacceptable.

I've heard horror stories about going to the FSDO for a CFI-checkride and
having the FAA droids comb over your aircraft. Alegedly one guy came in
with a
plane that had a pin-head sized air bubble in the wet compass that
couldn't be seen
without putting your head down on the floor and looking up at it. *POOF*
unairworthy
(no air is acceptable). If you're lucky they'll let you ferry it home.

Again, "We're with the FAA and we're here to help..."

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************