Flight instructor found that he had endorsed for solo an expired student pilot certificate.

Attributes
ACN	486211
Time
Date	200009
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 670
ASRS Report	486211
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I received a student pilot from another instructor that had already done some initial paperwork with the student. The student already soloed once, and I was working on soloing him again. The student's original student pilot certificate was issued in 1996. I failed to catch that the student pilot certificate was invalid and I gave him solo privileges on it. The student finished up his requirements for his private certificate on it and I realized it before I sent him for a check ride. The whole time the student had a valid medical but invalid student pilot license. Even though invalid since 1998, there was no activity from 1998-2000 or recently. Through this whole chain of events, 5 CFI's and 1 DME missed that the student had an invalid student pilot certificate. Summary: I gave a student pilot solo privileges on an invalid certificate and he soloed on it. Student was issued a valid student pilot certificate for flight check.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR FOUND THAT HE HAD ENDORSED FOR SOLO AN EXPIRED STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A STUDENT PLT FROM ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR THAT HAD ALREADY DONE SOME INITIAL PAPERWORK WITH THE STUDENT. THE STUDENT ALREADY SOLOED ONCE, AND I WAS WORKING ON SOLOING HIM AGAIN. THE STUDENT'S ORIGINAL STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED IN 1996. I FAILED TO CATCH THAT THE STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE WAS INVALID AND I GAVE HIM SOLO PRIVILEGES ON IT. THE STUDENT FINISHED UP HIS REQUIREMENTS FOR HIS PVT CERTIFICATE ON IT AND I REALIZED IT BEFORE I SENT HIM FOR A CHK RIDE. THE WHOLE TIME THE STUDENT HAD A VALID MEDICAL BUT INVALID STUDENT PLT LICENSE. EVEN THOUGH INVALID SINCE 1998, THERE WAS NO ACTIVITY FROM 1998-2000 OR RECENTLY. THROUGH THIS WHOLE CHAIN OF EVENTS, 5 CFI'S AND 1 DME MISSED THAT THE STUDENT HAD AN INVALID STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE. SUMMARY: I GAVE A STUDENT PLT SOLO PRIVILEGES ON AN INVALID CERTIFICATE AND HE SOLOED ON IT. STUDENT WAS ISSUED A VALID STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE FOR FLT CHK.

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.