Student allowed to solo before certifying logbook.

Attributes
ACN	170118
Time
Date	199101
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : o17
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 930 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	170118
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The student is a lawyer. As an instrument, I wasn't very experienced and did not fully recognize that the solo endorsements had to be done prior to first solo, not after the third supervised solo. The student was a lawyer and there is no legal requirement for three supervised solos. I was afraid he would perform unsupervised solo flight too early. So he had his first supervised solo. Then he met a friend, who was a CFI and began flying with him. The new CFI endorsed him to solo. The new CFI also pointed out my mistake. Rather than falsify the endorsements, the first solo time was voided from the logbook. Problem arose because inexperienced CFI. Contributing factor, profession of student/fear of lawyers. Discovered by helpful peer. Correction, won't do it again. Human performance, perception of lawyers, liability leg toward decision. Inexperience affected quality of work.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT ALLOWED TO SOLO BEFORE CERTIFYING LOGBOOK.

Narrative: THE STUDENT IS A LAWYER. AS AN INSTR, I WASN'T VERY EXPERIENCED AND DID NOT FULLY RECOGNIZE THAT THE SOLO ENDORSEMENTS HAD TO BE DONE PRIOR TO FIRST SOLO, NOT AFTER THE THIRD SUPERVISED SOLO. THE STUDENT WAS A LAWYER AND THERE IS NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR THREE SUPERVISED SOLOS. I WAS AFRAID HE WOULD PERFORM UNSUPERVISED SOLO FLT TOO EARLY. SO HE HAD HIS FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO. THEN HE MET A FRIEND, WHO WAS A CFI AND BEGAN FLYING WITH HIM. THE NEW CFI ENDORSED HIM TO SOLO. THE NEW CFI ALSO POINTED OUT MY MISTAKE. RATHER THAN FALSIFY THE ENDORSEMENTS, THE FIRST SOLO TIME WAS VOIDED FROM THE LOGBOOK. PROB AROSE BECAUSE INEXPERIENCED CFI. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, PROFESSION OF STUDENT/FEAR OF LAWYERS. DISCOVERED BY HELPFUL PEER. CORRECTION, WON'T DO IT AGAIN. HUMAN PERFORMANCE, PERCEPTION OF LAWYERS, LIABILITY LEG TOWARD DECISION. INEXPERIENCE AFFECTED QUALITY OF WORK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.