Narrative:

Performed pre-maintenance hover check per mechanic, helicopter check was satisfactorily performed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that his pilot's license had been suspended by the FAA during an investigation concerning a school that he had been running for helicopter pilot ratings. While his license was suspended, he and one of his CFI's took a helicopter to a repair facility that had contacted him. This maintenance shop had been represented as an authorized bell repair facility. The CFI had flown the helicopter to the facility, and while in preliminary discussions on the check and repair activity, the facility owner said that he wanted to do a hover check to record the engine readings and vibration levels. The young man who got into the CFI's seat was thought to be a pilot by the reporter and the reporter thought that he, not the young man, would be writing the readings down on the form. However, when the helicopter was started and the CFI was seated in the back, the young man turned to the reporter and took the maintenance form and told him to hover about 3 ft above the ramp. The reporter said that, rather than argue, at this point he lifted off, hovered for about 5 mins and sat back down. He later found that the young man was the son of the facility owner and he had neither a pilot's license or a mechanic's a&P license. And further, the facility turned out not to be an authority/authorized bell repair facility. After the hover the owner said that he would send an estimate, alleged the reporter. He said when he received the $50000 estimate for minor repairs he and some of his staff went over to fly the helicopter back, but it was in pieces. The owner wanted him to pay for his work to that point. Both he and the facility owner contacted the FAA at that time. The reporter said that he was told that the facility was under investigation. The owner had found out about the reporter's license suspension and reported his 'flight.' the FAA had already restored the reporter's license by this time and they did not take any action against him. He said that he took the helicopter, in parts, and is back as a school and charter operator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT WITH A SUSPENDED LICENSE, HOVERS A HELI FOR A MAINT TEST THINKING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE OTHER SEAT WAS A PLT OR AT LEAST A MECH. THE OTHER PERSON HAD NO LICENSES, BUT THE FAA DECIDED TO TAKE NO ACTION AGAINST THE RPTR AND HIS LICENSE HAS BEEN RESTORED.

Narrative: PERFORMED PRE-MAINT HOVER CHK PER MECH, HELI CHK WAS SATISFACTORILY PERFORMED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HIS PLT'S LICENSE HAD BEEN SUSPENDED BY THE FAA DURING AN INVESTIGATION CONCERNING A SCHOOL THAT HE HAD BEEN RUNNING FOR HELI PLT RATINGS. WHILE HIS LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED, HE AND ONE OF HIS CFI'S TOOK A HELI TO A REPAIR FACILITY THAT HAD CONTACTED HIM. THIS MAINT SHOP HAD BEEN REPRESENTED AS AN AUTHORIZED BELL REPAIR FACILITY. THE CFI HAD FLOWN THE HELI TO THE FACILITY, AND WHILE IN PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS ON THE CHK AND REPAIR ACTIVITY, THE FACILITY OWNER SAID THAT HE WANTED TO DO A HOVER CHK TO RECORD THE ENG READINGS AND VIBRATION LEVELS. THE YOUNG MAN WHO GOT INTO THE CFI'S SEAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A PLT BY THE RPTR AND THE RPTR THOUGHT THAT HE, NOT THE YOUNG MAN, WOULD BE WRITING THE READINGS DOWN ON THE FORM. HOWEVER, WHEN THE HELI WAS STARTED AND THE CFI WAS SEATED IN THE BACK, THE YOUNG MAN TURNED TO THE RPTR AND TOOK THE MAINT FORM AND TOLD HIM TO HOVER ABOUT 3 FT ABOVE THE RAMP. THE RPTR SAID THAT, RATHER THAN ARGUE, AT THIS POINT HE LIFTED OFF, HOVERED FOR ABOUT 5 MINS AND SAT BACK DOWN. HE LATER FOUND THAT THE YOUNG MAN WAS THE SON OF THE FACILITY OWNER AND HE HAD NEITHER A PLT'S LICENSE OR A MECH'S A&P LICENSE. AND FURTHER, THE FACILITY TURNED OUT NOT TO BE AN AUTH BELL REPAIR FACILITY. AFTER THE HOVER THE OWNER SAID THAT HE WOULD SEND AN ESTIMATE, ALLEGED THE RPTR. HE SAID WHEN HE RECEIVED THE $50000 ESTIMATE FOR MINOR REPAIRS HE AND SOME OF HIS STAFF WENT OVER TO FLY THE HELI BACK, BUT IT WAS IN PIECES. THE OWNER WANTED HIM TO PAY FOR HIS WORK TO THAT POINT. BOTH HE AND THE FACILITY OWNER CONTACTED THE FAA AT THAT TIME. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WAS TOLD THAT THE FACILITY WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE OWNER HAD FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RPTR'S LICENSE SUSPENSION AND RPTED HIS 'FLT.' THE FAA HAD ALREADY RESTORED THE RPTR'S LICENSE BY THIS TIME AND THEY DID NOT TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST HIM. HE SAID THAT HE TOOK THE HELI, IN PARTS, AND IS BACK AS A SCHOOL AND CHARTER OPERATOR.

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.