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Loss of records

Bill Boyd

Well Known Member
Not sure this is the best forum for my question but I'll try putting this here for now.

Among the casualties of the fire that leveled my home on May 13 were my pilot logs and aircraft maintenance logs for airframe, engine and prop. Thankfully my medical, pilot cert and airworthiness docs were in the plane and therefore unscathed.

What does an owner do when all his original and backup photocopies of maintenance logs are lost like this? Besides start over today with new ones...

I am at a loss. In more ways than one, I guess :(

-Stormy
 
This is why I used my phone, and made a movie of turning through the pages of all of my logs. It is the easiest and quickest way to "copy" them. Then I uploaded the movie to one of the popular websites to immortalize it. Note, this is also a good way to share the logs when trying to sell your plane.

Maybe any mechanics that worked on your plane have copies, or at least records of the last pertinent entries?
 
Wow... sorry for your loss. Perhaps you can get an affidavit from the insurance company or fire marshall to confirm the loss and also insert such wording in your new log books that there was no prior accident history and all previous maintenance items were adhered to. or something like that?
 
I'm now a believer

in off-site storage of backups. And there's a million digital and a few analog ways to do it. My concern is about this being a done deal. I can't go back an re-do what's been left undone in the way of record-keeping and back-ups...

With what sort of entry do I begin my next pilot and aircraft logs? What if any are the legal repercussions of these records going AWOL?

-Stormy
 
Try to find all information that is recorded anywhere; FAA, past inspectors (including transponder checks), mechanics, etc.
Beyond that, enter all information to the best of your knowledge and have the entry notarized.
This is common practice.
 
FAR search

First off - I'm sorry to hear of your fire; hope everyone is ok.

To your question
With what sort of entry do I begin my next pilot and aircraft logs? What if any are the legal repercussions of these records going AWOL?

Suggest a search of FARs - you aren't the first person to lose records.
(FYI, a quick scan of part 61 turned up how to recover a lost pilot or medical certificate; not your issue.)

If Google is your search engine of choice, the string of text below will get you started:
pilot log site:ecfr.gov

Can't speak to legal repercussions.
 
biennial review

Sorry that happened... can't imagine what that would be like.
Your aircraft insurance company only cares about premiums paid... and then annual inspection and BFR. Ask your CFI that last did your BFR to log that in a new book. Keep a scanned copy of that. In case of a claim, you will be covered. Unless you are headed for an airline career, your actual pilot logbook is fairly useless in my opinion. I have been faithfully putting down my time for 41 years. Could I prove it is true... not really. It is more of a diary than anything. I did present it when I earned ATP single and multi-engine. Then, they denied me an ATP for seaplanes... since there was no approach to shoot to water. Anyway, just rebuild a log book and initial or sign to show you are telling the truth . Best you can do at this point.
 
There is an AC for that...

Advisory Circular 43-9C has a section on how to recover lost or destroyed records
 
Maintenance logs aren't as important as the DME sign off and the phase 1 sign off. That's what proves your airworthy cert is good. Some builders send copies to OK so those are on file in the event the books get lost. Most A&P's / IA's keep records that you can duplicate. Your pitot/static guy will definitely have your records. If you have receipts for any parts that might help reconstruct your books. From this point on maybe scan them as you go.
 
Reason for loss of records.

The best you can do is reproduce what you can from others who have kept copies of inspections. As a tire-kicker myself, missing logs are common. I often wonder why? What could previous owners/sellers by hiding? You should include an entry in your new log as to why your records are missing. Down the road this could be helpful in future sales of the plane.
 
Thanks!

What a great community :)

About the Phase One entry - the only time I was ever ramp checked, last fall at the airshow at KHSP, the FAA guy noted I had a passenger and said, "I assume you are out of phase one?"

I wanted to say, "You know, you got me there. But at 18 years and 950 flight hours, it is somewhat of a record for phase one, ain't it? Even if you haul me in, I can think about those braggin' rights in prison..."

But I wanted to keep it short and to the point, so I stifled myself and kept it professional.

To the point, we can re-enter phase one at any time for a number of reasons, so I will have to see to it that the entry is duly noted. Problem is I have no idea what day back in 1998 I finished phase one, as I have no surviving pilot logs to refer to.

Thanks for all the help, guys. Y'all are the best!

-Stormy
 
Pilot Logs

First, I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

As far as your pilot logs go, you can use the information you provided at your last 8710 for certificate action, or what you reported on your last medical as evidence of flight time up to that point. Here's a link to the FAA policy on lost pilot logbooks:

http://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docId=8900.1,Vol.5,Ch1,Sec8

Although this will help you reconstruct your past experience that might be a few years old, it probably won't help you document your recent experience to establish currency for PIC, carrying passengers, night time, IFR, etc. If you can't have your CFI document your last flight review/IPC, you may consider just doing it again and recording it in a new logbook.
 
Sorry to hear about your losses. I made paper copies of all my logbooks, aircraft and pilot and kept them in my safety deposit box for years. I have now moved them to a fireproof safe at my home along with other important documents and heirlooms.
 
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Fireproof safes

Much of what I lost was stored snugly in a fire-rated Liberty gun safe in my basement, bolted to an inside corner, in one of the last places reached by the fire. They are only typically rated to withstand a paltry 1200 degrees F for 20 minutes or so... and it takes a rural VFD that long to drive to the nearest hydrant to refill their pumpers :eek:

Off site backups are highly recommended. Snap cellphone pics and send them to the cloud.

The voice of experience,

Stormy
 
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