Pilot, a&P, reports of unsafe maintenance procedures of skydive operator.

Attributes
ACN	321500
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 7j1
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 219 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	321500
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On oct/xx/95 I was introduced to an owner at lexington county, 7j1. He asked me to be his mechanic and said that I could fly too. As I started flying there every wkend, I started noticing things amiss which led to me quitting. The owner would never let me fix things and he never produced any aircraft or engine logbooks. He did not take seriously the defects that I made him aware of. No one seemed to care. There is a great possibility that the aircraft could catch fire or a flight control could fail. There were 3 other pilots there with high time. They had been there quite some time. They showed no concern either. He told me that he had 100 hours and annual inspections done by a man in buefort, sc. There is no way the aircraft could pass any inspection. It is extremely obvious that he was just signing it off. Every time the aircraft is shut down, smoke billows out of the engine cowl. It smells like fuel. The engine is soaked with oil and the bottom of the aircraft is also soaked in oil. The l-hand elevator is severely overstressed. There is a hole in the l-hand horizontal stabilizer approximately 3/4 inch in diameter. Elevator cables are so loose I can take them off of the pulley with 1 finger. All flight control attach points are severely corroded.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT, A&P, RPTS OF UNSAFE MAINT PROCS OF SKYDIVE OPERATOR.

Narrative: ON OCT/XX/95 I WAS INTRODUCED TO AN OWNER AT LEXINGTON COUNTY, 7J1. HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS MECH AND SAID THAT I COULD FLY TOO. AS I STARTED FLYING THERE EVERY WKEND, I STARTED NOTICING THINGS AMISS WHICH LED TO ME QUITTING. THE OWNER WOULD NEVER LET ME FIX THINGS AND HE NEVER PRODUCED ANY ACFT OR ENG LOGBOOKS. HE DID NOT TAKE SERIOUSLY THE DEFECTS THAT I MADE HIM AWARE OF. NO ONE SEEMED TO CARE. THERE IS A GREAT POSSIBILITY THAT THE ACFT COULD CATCH FIRE OR A FLT CTL COULD FAIL. THERE WERE 3 OTHER PLTS THERE WITH HIGH TIME. THEY HAD BEEN THERE QUITE SOME TIME. THEY SHOWED NO CONCERN EITHER. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD 100 HRS AND ANNUAL INSPECTIONS DONE BY A MAN IN BUEFORT, SC. THERE IS NO WAY THE ACFT COULD PASS ANY INSPECTION. IT IS EXTREMELY OBVIOUS THAT HE WAS JUST SIGNING IT OFF. EVERY TIME THE ACFT IS SHUT DOWN, SMOKE BILLOWS OUT OF THE ENG COWL. IT SMELLS LIKE FUEL. THE ENG IS SOAKED WITH OIL AND THE BOTTOM OF THE ACFT IS ALSO SOAKED IN OIL. THE L-HAND ELEVATOR IS SEVERELY OVERSTRESSED. THERE IS A HOLE IN THE L-HAND HORIZ STABILIZER APPROX 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER. ELEVATOR CABLES ARE SO LOOSE I CAN TAKE THEM OFF OF THE PULLEY WITH 1 FINGER. ALL FLT CTL ATTACH POINTS ARE SEVERELY CORRODED.

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.