Narrative:

The owner/operator of the air taxi brought me a gear leg with a crack in the lower area to be repaired. I repaired the gear leg and did a 337 form which the owner submitted to the FSDO. Next day, the FSDO maintenance supervisor called and said he had problems with the repair. The FSDO inspector says the manufacturer of the gear leg has specifications for repairs that were not followed. I submit that the gear leg was not made by the company that the FSDO says and, therefore, does not need to follow that company's repair procedures. I find it difficult to determine the original manufacturer of every part that comes in the door, especially airframe parts with no part numbers, ie, tail feathers, gear legs, exhaust manifolds, and fuel tanks. I use the advisory circular 43.13-1B as my reference plus 30 yrs of experience on parts of unknown manufacture but with obvious repair needs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the repair the FSDO supervisor demanded was for a landing gear component that had a permanent parts tag affixed to the part. The reporter said after identing the part with a number then the manufacturer's repair procedures can be followed but this part had no number and the advisory circular 43.13-1B was used as the reference for the repair. The reporter stated the FSDO supervisor was alleged to be paying back the aircraft owner for previous complaints about the FSDO service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA18 WAS ALLEGED BY THE LCL FSDO TO HAVE OPERATED WITH AN INCORRECT LNDG GEAR REPAIR.

Narrative: THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE AIR TAXI BROUGHT ME A GEAR LEG WITH A CRACK IN THE LOWER AREA TO BE REPAIRED. I REPAIRED THE GEAR LEG AND DID A 337 FORM WHICH THE OWNER SUBMITTED TO THE FSDO. NEXT DAY, THE FSDO MAINT SUPVR CALLED AND SAID HE HAD PROBS WITH THE REPAIR. THE FSDO INSPECTOR SAYS THE MANUFACTURER OF THE GEAR LEG HAS SPECS FOR REPAIRS THAT WERE NOT FOLLOWED. I SUBMIT THAT THE GEAR LEG WAS NOT MADE BY THE COMPANY THAT THE FSDO SAYS AND, THEREFORE, DOES NOT NEED TO FOLLOW THAT COMPANY'S REPAIR PROCS. I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER OF EVERY PART THAT COMES IN THE DOOR, ESPECIALLY AIRFRAME PARTS WITH NO PART NUMBERS, IE, TAIL FEATHERS, GEAR LEGS, EXHAUST MANIFOLDS, AND FUEL TANKS. I USE THE ADVISORY CIRCULAR 43.13-1B AS MY REF PLUS 30 YRS OF EXPERIENCE ON PARTS OF UNKNOWN MANUFACTURE BUT WITH OBVIOUS REPAIR NEEDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE REPAIR THE FSDO SUPVR DEMANDED WAS FOR A LNDG GEAR COMPONENT THAT HAD A PERMANENT PARTS TAG AFFIXED TO THE PART. THE RPTR SAID AFTER IDENTING THE PART WITH A NUMBER THEN THE MANUFACTURER'S REPAIR PROCS CAN BE FOLLOWED BUT THIS PART HAD NO NUMBER AND THE ADVISORY CIRCULAR 43.13-1B WAS USED AS THE REF FOR THE REPAIR. THE RPTR STATED THE FSDO SUPVR WAS ALLEGED TO BE PAYING BACK THE ACFT OWNER FOR PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FSDO SVC.

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.