Narrative:

Practice area student pilot; slow flight power off stall. Flaps fail. Landed at nearby field. Maintenance completed flaps inoperative -- not noted on switch. Flew back to ZZZ for repair. Supplemental information from acn 740764: my student pilot made a really good decision followed by a really lousy one. My soloed student pilot was in the practice area working on slow flight and stalls. During recovery from one of the stalls; the flaps failed to retract. He attempted to correct the problem by resetting the circuit breaker and moving the flap switch. Nothing happened so he diverted into a nearby airport; for which he has been signed off to conduct repeated xcountries. The called-out service center mechanics determined there was an actual problem; and were able to get the flaps to retract. I was advised by them that they would ferry the aircraft to their maintenance base and using a different aircraft; drop the student pilot off at his home base. Instead; the mechanics pulled the flap circuit breaker and told my student he could fly it home. Which my student did; no ferry permit; no 'inoperative' sticker; no logbook entry; nothing. At least the student's landing at home base was conducted without further incident. Although we've discussed the problems with flying aircraft with known deficiencies and the applicable regulations in the past; obviously that lesson hasn't sunk in for the student. I assigned homework to the student for him to research the applicable regulations; find out if the aircraft was airworthy to fly; and how he should handle that situation in the future. We'll spend the next lesson on the ground discussing the answers and NASA's ASRS program. In the FAA call today following up; the inspector was none too happy with my student's and the mechanic's actions. He was satisfied with my plan of action as the instructor and my understanding is he is leaving the corrective actions for my student in my hands.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT FLEW AN SR22 WITH DISABLED FLAPS FROM A MAINT BASE TO ITS HOME STATION WITHOUT A FERRY PERMIT OR PROPER LOG ENTRIES.

Narrative: PRACTICE AREA STUDENT PLT; SLOW FLT PWR OFF STALL. FLAPS FAIL. LANDED AT NEARBY FIELD. MAINT COMPLETED FLAPS INOP -- NOT NOTED ON SWITCH. FLEW BACK TO ZZZ FOR REPAIR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 740764: MY STUDENT PLT MADE A REALLY GOOD DECISION FOLLOWED BY A REALLY LOUSY ONE. MY SOLOED STUDENT PLT WAS IN THE PRACTICE AREA WORKING ON SLOW FLT AND STALLS. DURING RECOVERY FROM ONE OF THE STALLS; THE FLAPS FAILED TO RETRACT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE PROB BY RESETTING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND MOVING THE FLAP SWITCH. NOTHING HAPPENED SO HE DIVERTED INTO A NEARBY ARPT; FOR WHICH HE HAS BEEN SIGNED OFF TO CONDUCT REPEATED XCOUNTRIES. THE CALLED-OUT SVC CTR MECHS DETERMINED THERE WAS AN ACTUAL PROB; AND WERE ABLE TO GET THE FLAPS TO RETRACT. I WAS ADVISED BY THEM THAT THEY WOULD FERRY THE ACFT TO THEIR MAINT BASE AND USING A DIFFERENT ACFT; DROP THE STUDENT PLT OFF AT HIS HOME BASE. INSTEAD; THE MECHS PULLED THE FLAP CIRCUIT BREAKER AND TOLD MY STUDENT HE COULD FLY IT HOME. WHICH MY STUDENT DID; NO FERRY PERMIT; NO 'INOP' STICKER; NO LOGBOOK ENTRY; NOTHING. AT LEAST THE STUDENT'S LNDG AT HOME BASE WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH WE'VE DISCUSSED THE PROBS WITH FLYING ACFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES AND THE APPLICABLE REGS IN THE PAST; OBVIOUSLY THAT LESSON HASN'T SUNK IN FOR THE STUDENT. I ASSIGNED HOMEWORK TO THE STUDENT FOR HIM TO RESEARCH THE APPLICABLE REGS; FIND OUT IF THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY TO FLY; AND HOW HE SHOULD HANDLE THAT SITUATION IN THE FUTURE. WE'LL SPEND THE NEXT LESSON ON THE GND DISCUSSING THE ANSWERS AND NASA'S ASRS PROGRAM. IN THE FAA CALL TODAY FOLLOWING UP; THE INSPECTOR WAS NONE TOO HAPPY WITH MY STUDENT'S AND THE MECH'S ACTIONS. HE WAS SATISFIED WITH MY PLAN OF ACTION AS THE INSTRUCTOR AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS HE IS LEAVING THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FOR MY STUDENT IN MY HANDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.