wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
About 3 weeks ago, I got word that the ELT in my plane was going off inside the hangar. Got it shut off with the switch on the unit (front panel reset didn't work). Two weeks ago, I opened the back bulkhead and discovered that there was a splice in the front panel remote wiring located directly below the aircraft battery box - and that the battery, apparently, had leaked a bit of acid (causing the insulation in the splice to disintegrate and setting off the ELT). I promptly removed the battery, neutralized any areas where the acid went, and dropped the keys/logbooks at the FBO desk.
I asked the FBO shop to clean up the battery box, fix the ELT remote wiring splice, put in a new ELT battery, put in a new aircraft battery (old one 5 years old), and check for corrosion/alodine any areas where the paint was missing. That should have been but a couple of hours work, and since I would be away for the week, I asked that they be done so I could take the plane up last Saturday. No problem, I was told. I also asked that the bulkhead cover be left off so I could double-check the work.
Last Saturday, went to the airport. Plane had not been touched. Called on Monday, and talked to the FBO owner. He checked into it, and I got a call within about 2 hours from the maintenace shop saying the plane was in the maint hangar.
Today dawned clear and a bit breezy. Seemed like a perfect day to brush some rust off. Went to the hangar - looked like the plane was fixed (but, grrrr, the bulkhead was back on with NEW hardware. But no logbooks anywhere to be found. Went to FBO, asked for logbooks. Desk jockey said "no one in maint". I said "I can't go without logs". He called office manager, found keys, took me back to shop, found logbooks.
Logbooks had no entries for the work done. The ELT battery sticker was held onto book with rubber band. Desk jockey said he had no one to call.
So, another day, wasted, thanks to no-follow-through on the part of the FBO. I'm due for an IPC, was going to schedule that for next week, but want to fly the plane a bit first. I won't have time again till next Saturday. Now have to push the IPC out another week.
And we wonder why GA has a problem.
I asked the FBO shop to clean up the battery box, fix the ELT remote wiring splice, put in a new ELT battery, put in a new aircraft battery (old one 5 years old), and check for corrosion/alodine any areas where the paint was missing. That should have been but a couple of hours work, and since I would be away for the week, I asked that they be done so I could take the plane up last Saturday. No problem, I was told. I also asked that the bulkhead cover be left off so I could double-check the work.
Last Saturday, went to the airport. Plane had not been touched. Called on Monday, and talked to the FBO owner. He checked into it, and I got a call within about 2 hours from the maintenace shop saying the plane was in the maint hangar.
Today dawned clear and a bit breezy. Seemed like a perfect day to brush some rust off. Went to the hangar - looked like the plane was fixed (but, grrrr, the bulkhead was back on with NEW hardware. But no logbooks anywhere to be found. Went to FBO, asked for logbooks. Desk jockey said "no one in maint". I said "I can't go without logs". He called office manager, found keys, took me back to shop, found logbooks.
Logbooks had no entries for the work done. The ELT battery sticker was held onto book with rubber band. Desk jockey said he had no one to call.
So, another day, wasted, thanks to no-follow-through on the part of the FBO. I'm due for an IPC, was going to schedule that for next week, but want to fly the plane a bit first. I won't have time again till next Saturday. Now have to push the IPC out another week.
And we wonder why GA has a problem.
