Narrative:

The crew of a scheduled flight from sgf to mem reported to the aircraft for a scheduled XA45 departure. During the preflight operations and checks it was discovered that a required weekly inspection had been done the previous day and that the aircraft was out of inspection. At this point I called my operations in memphis and my maintenance department. After explaining my situation to the maintenance supervisor on duty, and after apparent consultations on his end, I was advised by maintenance that his regulations allowed the time between required maintenance to be extended for a small amount. I was advised that a 2 hour extension was approved and that I could fly the aircraft back to mem. I then called my operations who advised me that they had the same information and that I could return. Upon arrival in mem I had maintenance personnel meet me at the aircraft to perform the required inspection. I asked the maintenance line supervisor about the situation and he too advised that they were allowed to overfly the required inspection interval by a certain small amount. He then stated that they would report the incident to the FAA and that they would probably be fined a small amount. This immediately raised the question of legality. If, indeed, it is legal to overfly the required maintenance interval by a specified amount why would there be a fine for doing so? At this point in time and after discussing the situation with my chief pilot, I still cannot be sure if I violated fed regulations or not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REQUIRED INSPECTION ON ACR LTT NOT ACCOMPLISHED ON TIME. FLT CREW QUESTIONS LEGALITY OF MAINTENANCE EXTENDING TIME TO GET ACFT TO MAINTENANCE BASE.

Narrative: THE CREW OF A SCHEDULED FLT FROM SGF TO MEM RPTED TO THE ACFT FOR A SCHEDULED XA45 DEP. DURING THE PREFLT OPS AND CHKS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A REQUIRED WEEKLY INSPECTION HAD BEEN DONE THE PREVIOUS DAY AND THAT THE ACFT WAS OUT OF INSPECTION. AT THIS POINT I CALLED MY OPS IN MEMPHIS AND MY MAINT DEPT. AFTER EXPLAINING MY SITUATION TO THE MAINT SUPVR ON DUTY, AND AFTER APPARENT CONSULTATIONS ON HIS END, I WAS ADVISED BY MAINT THAT HIS REGS ALLOWED THE TIME BTWN REQUIRED MAINT TO BE EXTENDED FOR A SMALL AMOUNT. I WAS ADVISED THAT A 2 HR EXTENSION WAS APPROVED AND THAT I COULD FLY THE ACFT BACK TO MEM. I THEN CALLED MY OPS WHO ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAD THE SAME INFO AND THAT I COULD RETURN. UPON ARR IN MEM I HAD MAINT PERSONNEL MEET ME AT THE ACFT TO PERFORM THE REQUIRED INSPECTION. I ASKED THE MAINT LINE SUPVR ABOUT THE SITUATION AND HE TOO ADVISED THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO OVERFLY THE REQUIRED INSPECTION INTERVAL BY A CERTAIN SMALL AMOUNT. HE THEN STATED THAT THEY WOULD RPT THE INCIDENT TO THE FAA AND THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE FINED A SMALL AMOUNT. THIS IMMEDIATELY RAISED THE QUESTION OF LEGALITY. IF, INDEED, IT IS LEGAL TO OVERFLY THE REQUIRED MAINT INTERVAL BY A SPECIFIED AMOUNT WHY WOULD THERE BE A FINE FOR DOING SO? AT THIS POINT IN TIME AND AFTER DISCUSSING THE SITUATION WITH MY CHIEF PLT, I STILL CANNOT BE SURE IF I VIOLATED FED REGS OR NOT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.