Ramp Check!

[i'mbatman]

Hi,
I got ramped checked by a MX inspector today...he wrote down my name and CFI # and the same with my student....what are my rights if this happens again and what can happen at this point? He found a loose fuel placard in my aircraft and an arm rest that was improperly installed.......should i be worried? HELP!

 

[bobbysamd]

Ramp check

I wouldn't worry.....yet. It's time to, well, be concerned if a "helpful" FAA letter arrives in your mailbox suggesting that you drop by for a friendly visit and/or the same friendly fed calls with the same suggestion.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES respond to the letter yourself and do not let yourself be intimidated. THAT DAY, get legal advice. You can also call AOPA for advice if you are a member.

Hope that helps. Chances are nothing will happen. In any event, keep us posted.

 

[TDTURBO]

This should have been posted in YGBSM. A lose fuel placard and an improperly installed armrest?

Can you say FAA loser boy? Give me a break.

 

[airline mission]

What airport were you checked on?

 

[JCJ]

send a NASA (ASRS) report

 

[PennEagle]

NASA Report?

Don't send a NASA report .... as is posted elsewhere, these forms are for actions by pilots or controllers that were " inadvertant and non-deliberate".

 

[flywithastick]

Re: Ramp check

You can also call AOPA for advice if you are a member.

You *are* an AOPA member, right batman?!

 

[citdrver]

Batman,

First of all didnt you tell him you were Batman, and to please address all concerns to the office of Bruce Wayne? Also that you and the boy wonder have bigger fish to fry...like the darn JOKER!

Seriously, the main thing for you is that you inform your boss or director of maintenance or any mechanic for that matter and the problems are addressed and corected. The FAA inspector is justifying his exsitence by generating paperwork that he has been out in the field making the skies safe! The major thing is not to get ramped again by the same guy and have the same discrepencies..that pisses them off. Also inform the mechanic or your boss of the FAA ramp check so that all the maintenance can be properly documented for his inspection, if he chooses to do a follow up. As for you, follow Booby's advice, hang tight. If they wanted to mess with you. you will know sooner than later. AOPA is your best defense for that, I am still in thier legal plan (signed up when I got my CFI) and will always be, unless I get me one of them cool union jobs.

Dont Sweat it, and tell Robin I said Hello!

 

[boxcar]

You guys are paranoid! If the inspector considered the discrepencies serious enough to affect airworthiness, he/she would have issued a written statement (Condition Notice) saying the discrepencies needed to be fixed before further flight. In the absence of that, he/she was trying to be helpful by pointing out minor gripes that might have occured inflight or were missed during preflight. No matter how serious the problems were, in order to process a violation the inspector must prove the discrepencies existed during the time the airplane was flown. This is hard to do and isn't worth the time and trouble unless you're on their s**t list.

 

[JediNein]

"Check Six"

The FAA Safety Program Manager sent my home district notice that ramp checks of general aviation, especially flight training operations, were going to be much more frequent this year. The SPM of the office where I do my flight instruction concurs, stating that the directive came from on high. Terrorists, an incredible training accident rate (3 MEIs seriously injured or killed along with their students, totalling 3 aircraft in the last three weeks in our area alone + 3 applicants on checkrides landing gear up), and general "prove that we are doing something" are the causes.

If your inspector/SPM approaches your school and asks them to do a PACE inspection, pick your best airplane, let your mechanic have first shot, corral the flight instructors and a handful of students, and have at it. PACE has no teeth and is a way to satisfy the "ramp check" requirement/quota while remaining on the good list. If problems are found, get them corrected now, not when violations and certificates are hanging in the balance. A fuel placard is $2.10, compare that to the cost of an enforcement action.

Below is a checklist Gene Whitt put together from one of his encounters with a ramp check. It makes a great checklist for any ramp check, or for purchasing an aircraft.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

An FAA Ramp Inspection Checklist
The Pilot (9 items)
FAR 61.3 & 61.5
1. Pilot certificate
2. Medical certificate class and date
3. Type of ratings by category
4. Airplane class rating
5. Rotorcraft class rating
6. Type of rating
7. Lighter-than-air rating
8. Instrument rating
a. Airplane
b. Helicopter
FAR 61.25 Change of name or address

Aircraft Inspection (14 items)
1. Placarding
2. Obvious defects
3. Airworthiness Certificate
4. Registration
5. N marking correct
6. Annual inspection
7. Transponder date
8. Compass card
9. Minimum equipment list
10. Flight manual
11. AD current
12. ELT date
13. Data plates
14. Weight and Balance

Airworthy (Definition)
1) The aircraft must conform to its type certificate
a. When aircraft configuration and the components installed are
consistent with …all information that is part of the type certificate.
2) The aircraft must be in condition for safe operation.
a. Aircraft relative to wear and deterioration (examples of damage)

Records (16 items)
1. Registration is current and in aircraft. CFR 91.9
2. Airworthiness certificate in aircraft CFR 91.203(a)
3. Verify A&PI certificate number CFR 63.91
4. Current weight and balance 23.1581, 91.9
5. All AD's current in maintenance records CFR 23.23, 23.1519
6. Last annual completed: CFR 43.11 & 91.417
a. Date
b. CFR 65.91 Name and certificate number.
c. 145 repair station sign off date and station number
7. Annual Inspection 43.11 & 91.417
a. Total time
b. Description of work done
c. Date complete
d. IA signature and certification number
8. Last 100-hour inspection
a. 145 Repair station signoff date and station number CFR 43.3/51/57
b. A & P date and certification number CFR 43.15, 65.85, 91.409
9. A&P/IA signature CFR 43.11 & 91.409
10. Approved flight manual up-to-date before 03-1-1979 CFR
21.5/23.1591, 91.9
11. Equipment list current and in aircraft CFR 23.29 & 91.9
12, Flight manual of POH current after 03-1-1979 w/revision number and date CFR 21.5/23.1581, 91.9
13. Alterations IAW approved STC/TSO/PMA/field approval of other FAA data/337s CFR 21.97/101/113
14.Maintenance records for engine, airframe and propeller CFR 91.417
15. FAA-accepted instructions for continued airworthiness (ICAW for form 337s) and FAA -accepted maintenance manuals. Per FAR 21.31, 21.50, 21.1529,
16. Annual/100 hour inspection checklist owner gets copy CFR 43.15 (c)

In my conversation with the FAA source of this checklist, I was told
that getting through the foregoing meant that the remaining six pages were unlikely to be a problem. It doesn't look that way to me.

Cockpit Inspection (39 items)
1. Instruments and placards are correctly located per POH or T/C CFR
23.1541-1567, 91.9
2. INOP placards
a. INOP instruments removed
b. Equipment list up-dated
c. Maintenance record entry.
3. Instrument range markings: CFR 91.205/405(d) & CFR 23.1322, CFR
23.1541
a. Altimeter
b. Fuel pressure
c. Fuel quantity
d. Oil pressure
e. Oil temperature
f. Ammeter
g. Heading indicator
h. Vertical speed indicator
i. Turn and bank
j. Gear indicator
4. Compass card is there and legible CFR 23.1547 & 25.1547
5. Additional instruments not on equipment list or 337
6. Type of clock installed original analog or digital working AC 20-94
7. Nav radio P/N 1 and P/N 2
8. Conforms to type certificate (TC) per POH (see 5 & 6 above)
9. Check seat belts for stitching, cuts or worn CFR 91.107 & 23.785
10. Seat belts proper storage and marking TSO-22 7 23.785
11. Seat belts plastic locking ring missing front and back seats TSO-22, CFR 45.14
12. TSO-22 marking on seatbelts CFR 45l.15, CFR 91.205(b)(13,14)
13. Shoulder harness required after July 18, 1978 CFR 23.785(g)(1)
14. Seat rail holes elongated requires AD check CFR39
15. Worn seat material CFR 25.853 for a CAR-3.388 aircraft Part 91 & 23.853, AC 43.13 -1B Para 9-61
16. New Interior material certificates CAR-3.388 & CFR 23.853/25.853
17. Interior worn and if new has certification sheets (Has interior been altered or changed?)
CFR 21.303/43.11
18. Cockpit fuel smell CFR 23.863
19. Data plate information matches registration FAR 45.11/13 & 47.3
20. Intercom jack, how many, any extra and required Form 337
21. Fire extinguisher gauge
22. Oxygen bottle AC 43.13-1b para 9-51
23. Instrument filter covers installed
24. Windows stop-drilled, cracked, or crazed CFR 23.775
25. Seat back locks broken CFR 23.785
26. Flap, gear and other knobs installed CFR 23.781
27. Yoke chain safety wired or loose CFR 43
28. Electrical wiring more than 1/2 inch of slack CFR 43.13 1B para
11-118
29. Electrical wiring clamps/marking as required AC43.13-1B sec.11
30. Ty-wraps on items of mass in the cabin CFR 23.561
31. Loose wires under the dash not clamped CFR 23.1351
32. General cleanliness and loose equipment 23. 1301
33. Fuel selector moves to all positions and placarded
34. Oxygen system and supply condition CFR 23.l144 thru 1453
35. Battery vented overboard 23.1353 & AC 43.13-1B para 11-22
36. Fire extinguishing agent CFR 23.1197
37. Cockpit control knob shape CFR 23.781
38. Engine control proper installation and operation CFR 23.1141
39. Brake master cylinder leaking, check left/right CFR 23.735

Aircraft Exterior Inspection (34 items)
1. Nationality and registration marks per FAR 45.29. 3-inch markings per Jan1, 1983 and repaint
Over 30 years 2 or 12 inch CFR 45.22(b)
2. Fuel placards on left and right CFR 45.22(b)
3. Fairing cracked, hardware missing CFR 24.607, CFR 23.1193
4. Tire condition, wear and cuts AC 34.13 para 9-14
5. Landing gear struts condition AC 43.13 para 9-2/4
6. Landing gear extension AC 43.13 para 9-2/4
7. Landing gear farings condition CFR 23.607, CFR 23.1193
8. Brake pads and line conditions CFR 23.735
9. Wing dents, cracks, rivets, corrosion lights CFR 23.1385
10. Flap cracks, loose hardware, installation, stop-drilled, cracks CFR 23.655/697
11. Fuel vent direction CFR 23.975
12. Aileron cracks, loose hardware, installation cable rigging loose,
annual/100 hour inspection
CFR 23.655/685/689
13. Deicer boot condition worn, holes, debonded CFR 23.1416/1419
14. Static ports no paint, clear CFR 23l.13l25
15. Pitot tube hole not plugged and last inspection date. CFR 23.1325
15, Rudder movement, bearings, racks, repairs CFR 23.685
16. Cable rigging tensiometer test every 100 hours/ annual CFR 23.589
17. Electrical bonding strap condition CFR 23.867
18. Rotating beacon installation, corrects/doubler after 08-11-71 CFR 23.1401
19. Anticollision light system CFR 91.209(b)/CFR 23.1401
20. Navigation lights proper color CFR 23.1385-1399
21. Elevator torque tube adapter, rivets condition CFR 23.675
22. Horizontal stabilizer cracks, rivets, installation, safetied,
stop-drill cracks, stops CFR 23.571, 23.675
23. Door latches and locks, sprung, seals worn CFR 2l3l.1557
24. Windscreen clear, scratches, racks, CFR23.775
25. Antenna installation, doublers per 43.13 2A, CFR 23.571/572
26. Fabric covered aircraft condition AC 43.13-B chapter 2
27. Emergency exit placards CFR 23.15l57(d)
28. ATC transponder FAR 91.413 date and 24 calendar month check
29. ELT TSO-C91a/TSO-C126 12 month check
30. Altimeter test CFR 91.411 24 month check
31. Mirrors on wings require form 337
32. Landing light covers cracked, missing hardware
33. Landing gear retraction test CFR 23.l479
34. Emergency gear extension performed CFR 23.479