Narrative:

On F/bg/91 at bow at approximately aa:30 hours while inside the cockpit of small transport trying to start the left engine to check hydraulic pressure for a possible leak on the right brake, a polk county sheriff officer drove up and asked to see the registration. I was unable to produce the temporary pink registration as I had left it along with the other paperwork regarding this aircraft transaction, in my briefcase at my residence in sarasota, fl. The registration that was in small transport I thought was that from mr X, the former owner. It was not, it was from the next previous owner, a mr Y, dba ZZZ. I told polk county sheriff authorities I had and could produce copies of the valid temporary registration, bill of sale, conveyance release, as the originals were sent to the FAA, ok for recording the week of 5/be/91. The following day at bow airport polk sheriff officers arrived to look at my temporary registration, bill of sale, AOPA title search, and informed me that xyz was not a proper registration, since the last owner mr X did not legally register xyz and seized this aircraft. I was told by these same authorities that they received this information from FAA registration. Also the last annual inspection for xyz was performed on 3/90. This aircraft has flown approximately 4.5 hours beyond annual before discovering. It was my understanding this aircraft was due for an annual inspection at the end of may, 1991. The registration matter should and could have been avoided by leaving the form in the aircraft at all times, and the out of annual situation should have been more closely looked into. I perceive this incident as one in which a vast majority of law enforcement agencies consider older larger twin piston aircraft, modes of transportation for drug contraband and not for the safety and room they offer. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he worked through both FAA and AOPA to speed paperwork and correct the problem. Now has hard copy of registration after plowing through backlog in okc. Aircraft returned to him in about 10 days and annual completed.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT SEIZED BY COUNTY SHERIFF WHEN WRONG REGISTRATION FOUND IN ACFT.

Narrative: ON F/BG/91 AT BOW AT APPROX AA:30 HRS WHILE INSIDE THE COCKPIT OF SMT TRYING TO START THE L ENG TO CHK HYD PRESSURE FOR A POSSIBLE LEAK ON THE R BRAKE, A POLK COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICER DROVE UP AND ASKED TO SEE THE REGISTRATION. I WAS UNABLE TO PRODUCE THE TEMPORARY PINK REGISTRATION AS I HAD LEFT IT ALONG WITH THE OTHER PAPERWORK REGARDING THIS ACFT TRANSACTION, IN MY BRIEFCASE AT MY RESIDENCE IN SARASOTA, FL. THE REGISTRATION THAT WAS IN SMT I THOUGHT WAS THAT FROM MR X, THE FORMER OWNER. IT WAS NOT, IT WAS FROM THE NEXT PREVIOUS OWNER, A MR Y, DBA ZZZ. I TOLD POLK COUNTY SHERIFF AUTHORITIES I HAD AND COULD PRODUCE COPIES OF THE VALID TEMPORARY REGISTRATION, BILL OF SALE, CONVEYANCE RELEASE, AS THE ORIGINALS WERE SENT TO THE FAA, OK FOR RECORDING THE WK OF 5/BE/91. THE FOLLOWING DAY AT BOW ARPT POLK SHERIFF OFFICERS ARRIVED TO LOOK AT MY TEMPORARY REGISTRATION, BILL OF SALE, AOPA TITLE SEARCH, AND INFORMED ME THAT XYZ WAS NOT A PROPER REGISTRATION, SINCE THE LAST OWNER MR X DID NOT LEGALLY REGISTER XYZ AND SEIZED THIS ACFT. I WAS TOLD BY THESE SAME AUTHORITIES THAT THEY RECEIVED THIS INFO FROM FAA REGISTRATION. ALSO THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR XYZ WAS PERFORMED ON 3/90. THIS ACFT HAS FLOWN APPROX 4.5 HRS BEYOND ANNUAL BEFORE DISCOVERING. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THIS ACFT WAS DUE FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AT THE END OF MAY, 1991. THE REGISTRATION MATTER SHOULD AND COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY LEAVING THE FORM IN THE ACFT AT ALL TIMES, AND THE OUT OF ANNUAL SITUATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLOSELY LOOKED INTO. I PERCEIVE THIS INCIDENT AS ONE IN WHICH A VAST MAJORITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES CONSIDER OLDER LARGER TWIN PISTON ACFT, MODES OF TRANSPORTATION FOR DRUG CONTRABAND AND NOT FOR THE SAFETY AND ROOM THEY OFFER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE WORKED THROUGH BOTH FAA AND AOPA TO SPD PAPERWORK AND CORRECT THE PROB. NOW HAS HARD COPY OF REGISTRATION AFTER PLOWING THROUGH BACKLOG IN OKC. ACFT RETURNED TO HIM IN ABOUT 10 DAYS AND ANNUAL COMPLETED.

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.