Prior to flight pilot realized that his temporary airman's certificate had expired.

Attributes
ACN	110029
Time
Date	198904
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : aus
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	110029
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : supervisor
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Discovered temporary airman certificate had expired during days off. No permanent certificate on hand. Called flight control and chief pilot to suspend self from flight operations. Called oklahoma city FAA office and was informed a new license had been sent. Requested telegram to verify airman certificate ATP and E-120 type. Received at 7:15 pm and returned to flying duties. Flying safety was at no time in question or endangered. Contributing factors were extensive personal and professional schedules (new aircraft and son born recently); possible poor mail service; no check and balance system that I know of by company or FAA to follow up new certificates; back log of paperwork in ok city office as informed on phone due to short staffing. Possible solution: send all new certificates via collect certified mail. Federal expressed request for new hard copy airman certificate as part of corrective action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIOR TO FLT PLT REALIZED THAT HIS TEMPORARY AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE HAD EXPIRED.

Narrative: DISCOVERED TEMPORARY AIRMAN CERTIFICATE HAD EXPIRED DURING DAYS OFF. NO PERMANENT CERTIFICATE ON HAND. CALLED FLT CTL AND CHIEF PLT TO SUSPEND SELF FROM FLT OPS. CALLED OKLAHOMA CITY FAA OFFICE AND WAS INFORMED A NEW LICENSE HAD BEEN SENT. REQUESTED TELEGRAM TO VERIFY AIRMAN CERTIFICATE ATP AND E-120 TYPE. RECEIVED AT 7:15 PM AND RETURNED TO FLYING DUTIES. FLYING SAFETY WAS AT NO TIME IN QUESTION OR ENDANGERED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE EXTENSIVE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SCHEDULES (NEW ACFT AND SON BORN RECENTLY); POSSIBLE POOR MAIL SVC; NO CHK AND BALANCE SYS THAT I KNOW OF BY COMPANY OR FAA TO FOLLOW UP NEW CERTIFICATES; BACK LOG OF PAPERWORK IN OK CITY OFFICE AS INFORMED ON PHONE DUE TO SHORT STAFFING. POSSIBLE SOLUTION: SEND ALL NEW CERTIFICATES VIA COLLECT CERTIFIED MAIL. FEDERAL EXPRESSED REQUEST FOR NEW HARD COPY AIRMAN CERTIFICATE AS PART OF CORRECTIVE ACTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.