|
 Savvy
Owner Notebook:
Trust But Verify
Steve Garner has been an aircraft owner for
just four weeks. Last weekend, he attended my Savvy Owner Seminar in
Dallas. Steve's investment in training is already paying off.
by Mike Busch (mike.busch@savvyaviator.com)
 My
Savvy Owner Seminar in Dallas had been fully subscribed for two months when
I received an email from Steve Garner of Plano, Texas. Steve had
just purchased his first airplane—a 2004 Diamond DA-40—when he
learned about my seminar. He tried to sign up on the website but
discovered the class was sold-out. So he sent me an email asking if
there was any way I could squeeze him in.
As it happened, I had just received an eleventh-hour cancellation from
another Dallas-area aircraft owner whose wife had suddenly become
ill. So I let Steve know that I would be happy to accommodate him.
 Last weekend, Steve went through the training along with 24 fellow
aircraft owners. In 16 intense hours, we discussed a very wide range
of maintenance-related subjects, including:
- the causes of bad maintenance and how to prevent it;
- the maintenance-related regulations that aircraft owners
need to know but usually aren't taught; and
- troubleshooting common electrical system problems.
Yesterday, Steve emailed me again, this time to let me know that
his training had already started to pay tangible dividends:
Mike, I'm a brand new aircraft owner, having owned my
Diamond DA-40 for just four weeks. I found your seminar to be
very valuable. I took the seminar just in time, as you can see
from the following account.
Charging system failure
Shortly after the seminar, my airplane had a charging
system failure. This was my first mechanical problem and I
hadn't yet found a shop to use. So I asked another owner for a
recommendation, and took my plane to the A&P he recommended last
Thursday.
I remember you telling the class that aircraft mechanics
are often uncomfortable troubleshooting electrical problems, so
I made a point of working with the A&P and following the
charging system troubleshooting procedure you taught us. We
verified that the alternator was turning and that field voltage
was present at the alternator field terminal.
We thus confirmed that the alternator was faulty.
Fortunately, the alternator was still under warranty. A new
alternator was procured and delivered via next-day air.
 I picked up the plane from the shop late the next day—the
Friday before Memorial Day—with plans to take a trip over
the three-day holiday weekend. The A&P told me the airplane was
good to go. I remember you cautioning that owners must verify
that the required maintenance entries have been made before
operating the aircraft. When I asked the A&P for the aircraft
logbooks, he replied that he would finish up the paperwork and
make the logbook entries over the weekend and I could pick up
the logbooks next week.
Having just taken your seminar, I knew that 91.407 forbids
operating an aircraft after maintenance until the necessary
logbook entries have been made. When I pointed this out to the
A&P, he replied that any private pilot can return the plane to
service after maintenance. I was pretty sure this was not
correct. I later looked it up in the regulations section of your
course book, and confirmed that a pilot can approve an aircraft
for return to service only after preventive maintenance
performed by the pilot, and that alternator replacement is not
considered preventive maintenance under Part 43 Appendix A(c).
So I am not legal to fly the airplane until the A&P signs off
the logbook entry.
Watch out for Fridays
I also remember you warning that Fridays are a crazy time
at maintenance shops—especially Fridays before holiday
weekends—because every owner wants his airplane ready for
the weekend. You told us that mechanics often cut corners trying
to get airplanes out the door by Friday afternoon.
So after I got my plane back to my hangar, I uncowled the
engine and inspected the mechanic's work. Everything looked good
to me EXCEPT for the absence of cotter pins on the castellated
nuts securing the alternator mounting bolts. I had been present
on Thursday when the A&P removed the alternator and observed him
cutting off the cotter pins. I also provided the shop with a
factory parts diagram that clearly shows those cotter pins.
I've decided to cancel my trip this weekend. I plan on
raising the issue of the missing cotter pins next week when I go
to the shop to pick up my log books. Due to tight clearances in
the engine compartment of the DA-40, I suspect it will probably
require removal of the air inlet and a half-hour of labor to get
the missing cotter pins installed. I'll be interested to see how
the A&P responds. I hope he offers to finish the job, especially
if he'd like to get paid.
Obviously I've got much more to learn about being an
aircraft owner, but you've helped me get off to a good start.
Before taking your Savvy Owner Seminar, I didn't know the scope
of my responsibilities as an owner, or how to carry them out.
Thank you, Mike.
Steve is a savvy owner
I can't tell you how delighted I was to receive Steve's email. Steve
should be proud of himself. I'll bet that not one owner in 20 would
have caught the improper paperwork or the missing cotter pins.
Steve's A&P should be profoundly embarrassed about both of those
items. If he isn't, I'm confident that Steve will find a different
mechanic to maintain his DA-40. Steve is obviously off to a great
start as an aircraft owner. He's taking his ownership
responsibilities very seriously.
I don't believe Ronald Reagan was a pilot, but he certainly had the
right attitude to be a savvy aircraft owner: "Trust but verify."
| Do you have a maintenance-related
"war story" that you'd like to share with fellow
aircraft owners? If you do, I'd
love to hear from you. The most interesting stories
I receive each month will be rewarded with highly prized Savvy
Aviator coffee mugs, so please include your
shipping address. Also be sure to let me know if you'd like
me to "change the names to protect the innocent"
when sharing your story. |
|
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