AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2018 - 102

NEWS & NOTES

MEMBER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

LEGALLY SPEAKING |

TIPS FROM PIC |

Why is the FAA calling?
Occurrence investigations

Replacing airman certificates

B Y R AY C A R V E R
YOU LINED UP ON THE RUNWAY AT A

towered airport following your preflight
inspection. As you applied full throttle,
something didn't feel right. You decided
to abort the takeoff and advised air traffic
control that you wanted to taxi back to the
ramp. This was not an "incident," and certainly not an "accident," so you are shocked
when you receive a letter from an FAA
inspector stating that she is "investigating
an occurrence."
If you find yourself the subject of an
FAA occurrence investigation, it does not
necessarily mean you did anything wrong.
In Order 8020.11C, the FAA defines "occurrence" as an event, other than an accident
or incident, that requires investigation for
its potential impact on safety by the Flight
Standards Service. This can include aborted
takeoffs, turn-backs, or diversions for reasons other than weather. Aborted takeoffs
are often subject to mandatory occurrence
reports by ATC.
During these investigations, the FAA frequently requests documents similar to what
would be requested during a ramp check.
The agency may request copies of logbooks,
pilot certificates, and medical certificates.

The FAA is entitled to see any of this documentation regardless of the circumstances.
If the occurrence was caused by a
mechanical failure, the inspector will want
to know if there were any indications of a
problem before the flight, what happened
during the occurrence, and what steps you
took after the occurrence. As always, you
should have a certificated A&P mechanic
inspect the airplane before returning it
to service and ensure that the inspection
and any accompanying repairs are logged
appropriately. If it's necessary to relocate
the aircraft before the repairs are made,
you should first obtain a special flight permit ("ferry permit"), which is done through
the local flight standards district office.
As long as your certificates are valid, you
possessed the necessary currency for the
flight, and you were not aware before the
flight of any mechanical issues that could
affect the airworthiness of the aircraft, the
investigation should close quickly.

good understanding of what your income will
be post retirement. A common rule of thumb
most lenders accept is forecast income equal
to 5 percent of your total marketable securities plus pensions, Social Security, and other
investment income, such as rental real estate
and business investments.
ADAM MEREDITH is president of AOPA

SARAH STAUDT is a senior aviation techni-

Finance.

cal specialist in the AOPA Pilot Informa-

RAY CARVER is a staff attorney with AOPA's

Legal Services Plan, offered as part of
AOPA's Pilot Protection Services.

www.aopa.org/pps

Should I upgrade
before retirement?

102 | AOPA PILOT August 2018

B Y S A R A H S TA U DT
LOSING A WALLET or sending it through
the laundry can happen to the best of
us, often prompting members to call the
AOPA Pilot Information Center about
how to replace an airman certificate.
Fortunately, this is a low-cost, simple
process. The FAA offers three options for
ordering a replacement certificate.
The fastest way is to order it through
FAA Airman Certification's Online
Services. Creating an account is free and
intuitive but does require that you know
your airman certificate number. If your
certificate has been lost or destroyed, you
may be able to find your certificate number from your logbook; endorsements
for flight reviews, practical tests, or highperformance aircraft; or another source
such as insurance forms. The FAA estimates that this method takes seven to 10
days for processing.
The other two options are both conducted through the mail. An airman can
complete a standard form, AC 8060-56, and
mail it to the FAA at the address provided
on the form. The final option is to mail
a signed letter. This letter must include
your name, date, and place of birth, Social
Security and/or certificate number, and the
reason you need the replacement. The FAA
estimates requests for certificate replacement that arrive in the mail will take four to
six weeks to process. With any option you
choose, there is a $2 replacement fee per
certificate. You can review these options
on the FAA's website (www.faa.gov/
licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/
certificate_replacement).
If you have questions, give AOPA a
call Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Eastern time, 800-USA-AOPA
(872-2672).

ASK ADAM |

Q: My wife and I are planning to retire
soon. We have several real estate income
streams, but I'll technically be out of a job.
Would it be prudent to upgrade our airplane before retirement?
A: Major life events, such as retirement, can
make financing complicated, especially when
being done simultaneously. For simplicity, it
may make sense to upgrade before retiring.
Lenders are going to review the past two years
for sufficient cash flow. You should have a

Whoops,
there it went

www.aopafinance.com

tion Center.

http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/certificate_replacement http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/certificate_replacement http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/certificate_replacement http://www.aopafinance.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2018

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