Filing a Complaint With Local FSDO?

[Salty]

I have a day job. I've got better things to do than grind a working guy over something he didn't do. In this case, I'm certain this is his handiwork. A true professional would say, "wow, I'm sorry. How can I make this right." Instead, he basically told me to go pound sand.

And if he hadn’t told you to pound sand, the actual physical results would be precisely the same as they are now.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Okay, here's the opinion you've been looking for:

1 - This guy screwed up royally and could have killed you, your passengers, and people on the ground.
2 - You need to report him immediately before he causes a tragedy.
3 - Contact the FSDO, an attorney, and your congressman and give them the whole story. You need to make sure this guy never touches another aircraft.​

Please report regularly regarding your progress. We'll look forward to seeing that this guy gets what's coming to him and we'll laud you as an aviation hero.

Go get him! We're anxiously awaiting your reports.

(Satisfied?)

Now you're just being a jerk. I'm soliciting opinions and ideas. If I'm on the wrong side of this debate, so be it. Perhaps your default is snark. Well done.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

And if he hadn’t told you to pound sand, the actual physical results would be precisely the same as they are now.

In terms of him having left the test plug, that's true. My concern is that if he did it to me, he'll do it to others. All he needed to do was own it. He didn't. Have you never had a situation that got defused by owning a mistake?

 

[MauleSkinner]

In terms of him having left the test plug, that's true. My concern is that if he did it to me, he'll do it to others. All he needed to do was own it. He didn't. Have you never had a situation that got defused by owning a mistake?

So him owning it prevents him from doing it to others how, exactly? Your magnanimous attitude doesn’t hold water, either.

 

[Salty]

In terms of him having left the test plug, that's true. My concern is that if he did it to me, he'll do it to others. All he needed to do was own it. He didn't. Have you never had a situation that got defused by owning a mistake?

I’ve also been blamed for something someone else did. He’s long forgotten your job. I would have ignored you.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

So him owning it prevents him from doing it to others how, exactly? Your magnanimous attitude doesn’t hold water, either.

It would hopefully cause him to stop and say to himself, "I screwed up. I need to slow down a little and be more careful." He was sloppy. He needs to not be sloppy. Pretty simple and it does, indeed, "hold water."

 

[Salty]

Now you're just being a jerk. I'm soliciting opinions and ideas. If I'm on the wrong side of this debate, so be it. Perhaps your default is snark. Well done.

The train of your argument essentially leads to what he posted.

 

[Half Fast]

Now you're just being a jerk. I'm soliciting opinions and ideas. If I'm on the wrong side of this debate, so be it. Perhaps your default is snark. Well done.

You've been on the wrong side of this debate for 4 pages now and refusing to listen to the advice everyone has been giving you. And I'm being a jerk? All you want to do is complain and now you're upset that people aren't validating it.

 

[MauleSkinner]

It would hopefully cause him to stop and say to himself, "I screwed up. I need to slow down a little and be more careful." He was sloppy. He needs to not be sloppy. Pretty simple and it does, indeed, "hold water."

Not from where I’m sitting. If you gave this guy the same “**** you” attitude you’re giving people here, it’s no wonder he told you to pound sand.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

I’ve also been blamed for something someone else did.

Very telling. Thank you for that. It explains a lot.

 

[Albany Tom]

I have a day job. I've got better things to do than grind a working guy over something he didn't do. In this case, I'm certain this is his handiwork. A true professional would say, "wow, I'm sorry. How can I make this right." Instead, he basically told me to go pound sand.

Why should he believe you? Why would your belief be more believable to him than his own?

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

You've been on the wrong side of this debate for 4 pages now and refusing to listen to the advice everyone has been giving you. And I'm being a jerk? All you want to do is complain and now you're upset that people aren't validating it.

I haven't refused to take anyone's advice. I'm engaged in a spirited debate, which has been interesting and enlightening. Have I said to anyone, "I'm filing a complaint? Nope. I'm simply debating the issues.

 

[Salty]

Very telling. Thank you for that. It explains a lot.

Wow. I don’t know for sure what that means, but if it means you think I was saying you’re lying about it, then you are truly missing the point of my posts. There seems to be no reaching you.

you seem incapable of putting yourself in his shoes and seeing what it’s like to be falsely accused. I’d bet anybody in this business has been multiple times. And before you get shocked, I’m not saying you falsely accused him, I’m saying it’s probably happened to him, so he’s going to assume after freaking 18 months that you are probably full of crap.

 

[Half Fast]

I haven't refused to take anyone's advice. I'm engaged in a spirited debate, which has been interesting and enlightening. Have I said to anyone, "I'm filing a complaint? Nope. I'm simply debating the issues.

Many people have told you that filing a complaint will only lead to problems for yourself and have little, if any, effect on the mechanic. I have yet to see a post from you that indicated you could see that point of view and give it serious consideration. All you do is argue against that opinion.

 

[Tarheelpilot]

@SoCal 182 Driver
Why are you not just as ****ed at the incompetent sloppy prick that did your annual inspection after the pitot static certification?

 

[Salty]

Many people have told you that filing a complaint will only lead to problems for yourself and have little, if any, effect on the mechanic. I have yet to see a post from you that indicated you could see that point of view and give it serious consideration. All you do is argue against that opinion.

Yep. I’ve seen no evidence that the OP even understands the other arguments. He’s certainly misrepresented mine more than once.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Wow. I don’t know for sure what that means, but if it means you think I was saying you’re lying about it, then you are truly missing the point of my posts.

What it means is that your admission that you've been blamed for things you didn't do is telling, and no doubt is influencing your comments here.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

@SoCal 182 Driver
Why are you not just as ****ed at the incompetent sloppy prick that did your annual inspection after the pitot static certification?

That's a discussion for another day, that will be had with the guy who did the annual. It will be interesting to hear whether he thinks that interior side panels need to be removed as part of an annual.

 

[Salty]

What it means is that your admission that you've been blamed for things you didn't do is telling, and no doubt is influencing your comments here.

Yeah, and I’m trying to get you to see how that would impact his reaction.

 

[Albany Tom]

Anyone that's been in business for more than a MINUTE has been blamed for things they didn't do. The best one I've heard of was someone writing letters to the NWS blaming them for using doppler radar to move hurricanes the wrong way.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Yep. I’ve seen no evidence that the OP even understands the other arguments. He’s certainly misrepresented mine more than once.

I understand them well...yours included. That I don't just roll over and say, "yeah, y'all are right," seems to be bothering you. As I've said, this has become a spirited debate that I have found interesting and enlightening.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Anyone that's been in business for more than a MINUTE has been blamed for things they didn't do. The best one I've heard of was someone writing letters to the NWS blaming them for using doppler radar to move hurricanes the wrong way.

I've been self-employed for the better part of 20 years. When it's been pointed-out that I made a mistake, I own it and fix it.

 

[Salty]

I understand them well...yours included. That I don't just roll over and say, "yeah, y'all are right," seems to be bothering you. As I've said, this has become a spirited debate that I have found interesting and enlightening.

Well, you’re doing a great job of not communicating that understanding. Congrats.

 

[Salty]

Very telling. Thank you for that. It explains a lot.

“Very telling”, in my experience, has never been used as a positive statement. It indicates to me that you divined something from my statement that I didn’t say outright. You also never explain what it “tells” you or what it “explains” to you. How is one to have a clue what you are actually thinking based on this?

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Well, you’re doing a great job of not communicating that understanding. Congrats.

I'll be explicit - To those with whom I'm debating, I hear you. Your comments are interesting and enlightening.

Will that do, @Salty?

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

“Very telling”, in my experience, has never been used as a positive statement. You also never explain what it “tells” you or what it “explains” to you. How is one to have a clue what you are actually thinking based on this?

See my comment above, in post 137, where I did explain myself.

 

[Salty]

I'll be explicit - To those with whom I'm debating, I hear you. Your comments are interesting and enlightening.

Will that do, @Salty?

lol you don’t have to do anything. But that statement does not indicate in any way that you agree with any of them, or see the merit in them.

 

[SkyChaser]

Maybe there should be a statute of limitations on non-fatality-inducing aircraft testing and repair jobs.

OP, if you're wanting your mechanic to give you the benefit of a doubt (believe you when you say it's his fault), perhaps you should give him the benefit of a doubt. I would be very unhappy to find that in my airplane, but I think you're getting your knickers in a twist over a molehill.There's no way to prove that your static system problem wasn't a one-off mistake, and there's no way to prove that the tech has since gone around monkeying with things and not putting them back right, unless that tech has a known history of mysterious problems showing up in planes in the aftermath of him working on them.

I don't consider this an FAA offense, and I'm not sure what they could do. A friendly warning to surrounding pilots, sure. Maybe even a note about getting an extra-thorough annual, if that shop worked on the plane, just to look for problems like that, on the airport bulletin board. Maybe you should put out feelers and figure out if you were the only one who used that shop or had problems. If everyone who worked with him had problems with their planes afterward, that would be an "FAA-able" offense, in my opinion, because it would show he did have a dangerous and cavalier attitude towards his work. Short of that, swallow hard, fix your plane, and go forth and fly.



Also, please don't insult my father-in-law just because you don't like his sense of humor.

 

[Checkout_my_Six]

Maybe someone should tell ‘em that there’s FAA folk here who gave him good advice.

 

[Salty]

At this point I’m calling troll, and I don’t do that lightly. You are doing way too good a job of mincing your words to the point of making them meaningless for it to be coincidental.

 

[Albany Tom]

I've been self-employed for the better part of 20 years. When it's been pointed-out that I made a mistake, I own it and fix it.

Do you take the customer's word for it? And I don't mean for $2 problems where you're just giving them the benefit of the doubt with no associated liability.

Or in other words, you're not pointing out that he made a mistake. You're pointing out that you believe that he made a mistake.

 

[Tarheelpilot]

That's a discussion for another day, that will be had with the guy who did the annual. It will be interesting to hear whether he thinks that interior side panels need to be removed as part of an annual.

If he doesn’t I expect you to be really butt hurt over it. After this thread I’ll be let down if you’re not upset.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

At this point I’m calling troll, and I don’t do that lightly. You are doing way too good a job of mincing your words to the point of making them meaningless for it to be coincidental.

Yeah, I'm a troll. You caught me. Bravo.

Sheesh...someone takes a contrary view, argues his points, and gets labeled a troll. Cancel culture, anyone?

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Maybe someone should tell ‘em that there’s FAA folk here who gave him good advice.

I'd be happy to have an offline discussion with someone from the FAA if any such person has been participating in this discussion. Please send me a PM.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Do you take the customer's word for it? And I don't mean for $2 problems where you're just giving them the benefit of the doubt with no associated liability.

Or in other words, you're not pointing out that he made a mistake. You're pointing out that you believe that he made a mistake.

Any professional mistake I make carries with it the potential for liability. Every single time, the best course of action has been to own it and fix it.

 

[SkyChaser]

Have you thought about asking around and seeing if anyone else is dealing with similar problems as you, or do you just assume the tech who screwed up your plane must have screwed up everything he touched? It would be extremely helpful for a case to the FAA that the tech is the problem if you were able to say, "Me and twelve other guys all took our planes in, and he screwed up every one!". And it would give them some good evidence to focus on, instead of trying to nitpick your plane and story.

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Maybe there should be a statute of limitations on non-fatality-inducing aircraft testing and repair jobs.

OP, if you're wanting your mechanic to give you the benefit of a doubt (believe you when you say it's his fault), perhaps you should give him the benefit of a doubt.

I would, if I wasn't 100% certain that this was his handiwork. I was there the day he did the work. He spent three hours troubleshooting the leak, and was late for his next appointment. He was in a hurry and got sloppy. Simple mistake. He should own it. And for those of you who are about to jump on me and say, "you should have seen the problem and pointed it out to him," please don't. It's not my job to get under a panel and inspect a repair station's work.

A friendly warning to surrounding pilots, sure.

For sure that's going to happen.

Maybe you should put out feelers and figure out if you were the only one who used that shop or had problems.

Done, and one of the comments I got back was, and I'm quoting, "...he has been ripping off a lot of people."

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

Have you thought about asking around and seeing if anyone else is dealing with similar problems as you, or do you just assume the tech who screwed up your plane must have screwed up everything he touched? It would be extremely helpful for a case to the FAA that the tech is the problem if you were able to say, "Me and twelve other guys all took our planes in, and he screwed up every one!". And it would give them some good evidence to focus on, instead of trying to nitpick your plane and story.

Done. One of the comments I got back was, quote, "...he has been ripping off a lot of people."

 

[asicer]

Can anyone tell me what the process is for filing a complaint?

Has anyone answered this most basic of questions yet?

 

[SoCal 182 Driver]

lol you don’t have to do anything. But that statement does not indicate in any way that you agree with any of them, or see the merit in them.

Do I have to do that to engage in a debate? Have I once said, in response to a comment, "no...you're wrong?" I'm debating the issues, and volleying arguments back and forth. Not once have I said that anyone's view is wrong. I may not have agreed with it, but that's what a debate usually is...people presenting differing views. Oh, wait, does that make me a troll, @Salty?