Narrative:

I was chosen to fly 1 airplane back to the university. Our university has high maintenance standards and our policies call for specific information to be placed on a card with any aircraft that is dispatched. I was recently told of a new airworthiness directive on the C152 involving the propeller. Before departing on the flight, the aircraft showed on the tach that we had 3.4 hours left before I thought the airworthiness directive was due. Our coach had warned us all week that the 50 hour and the airworthiness directive were close to being due, but were not to occur at the same time. I flew the first leg from purdue university to evansville, in. Upon landing, we discovered that we only had 1.5 hours left before the time on the card. I told the other members (who had met at the airport) that I could not fly the airplane because with the strong headwinds I knew we would never make it and would overfly the airworthiness directive. Being sunday, no one was at our flight school for an FAA ferry permit, and our coach was in a van somewhere in indiana. 1 member who works the line called our chief mechanic and spoke with him. He said that the time on the form was incorrect and applied to the 50 hour not the airworthiness directive, and that we were ok to go. I felt very hesitant about taking the airplane, but succumbed to pressures and trusted that what he said was true. I flew the airplane home, spending the entire time wondering if I was going to lose my career. I know it is my responsibility to confirm that the airplane has been complied with in terms of inspections, but in this situation I trusted all those around me. When I got home, we were .2 over on the tach. I have been unable to confirm today that the airworthiness directive was not violated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A UNIVERSITY STUDENT MAY HAVE FLOWN HIS UNIVERSITY ACFT PAST A DUE TIME ON AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.

Narrative: I WAS CHOSEN TO FLY 1 AIRPLANE BACK TO THE UNIVERSITY. OUR UNIVERSITY HAS HIGH MAINT STANDARDS AND OUR POLICIES CALL FOR SPECIFIC INFO TO BE PLACED ON A CARD WITH ANY ACFT THAT IS DISPATCHED. I WAS RECENTLY TOLD OF A NEW AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON THE C152 INVOLVING THE PROP. BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE FLT, THE ACFT SHOWED ON THE TACH THAT WE HAD 3.4 HRS LEFT BEFORE I THOUGHT THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WAS DUE. OUR COACH HAD WARNED US ALL WK THAT THE 50 HR AND THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WERE CLOSE TO BEING DUE, BUT WERE NOT TO OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME. I FLEW THE FIRST LEG FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY TO EVANSVILLE, IN. UPON LNDG, WE DISCOVERED THAT WE ONLY HAD 1.5 HRS LEFT BEFORE THE TIME ON THE CARD. I TOLD THE OTHER MEMBERS (WHO HAD MET AT THE ARPT) THAT I COULD NOT FLY THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE WITH THE STRONG HEADWINDS I KNEW WE WOULD NEVER MAKE IT AND WOULD OVERFLY THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. BEING SUNDAY, NO ONE WAS AT OUR FLT SCHOOL FOR AN FAA FERRY PERMIT, AND OUR COACH WAS IN A VAN SOMEWHERE IN INDIANA. 1 MEMBER WHO WORKS THE LINE CALLED OUR CHIEF MECH AND SPOKE WITH HIM. HE SAID THAT THE TIME ON THE FORM WAS INCORRECT AND APPLIED TO THE 50 HR NOT THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE, AND THAT WE WERE OK TO GO. I FELT VERY HESITANT ABOUT TAKING THE AIRPLANE, BUT SUCCUMBED TO PRESSURES AND TRUSTED THAT WHAT HE SAID WAS TRUE. I FLEW THE AIRPLANE HOME, SPENDING THE ENTIRE TIME WONDERING IF I WAS GOING TO LOSE MY CAREER. I KNOW IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CONFIRM THAT THE AIRPLANE HAS BEEN COMPLIED WITH IN TERMS OF INSPECTIONS, BUT IN THIS SIT I TRUSTED ALL THOSE AROUND ME. WHEN I GOT HOME, WE WERE .2 OVER ON THE TACH. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO CONFIRM TODAY THAT THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WAS NOT VIOLATED.

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.