Years ago I was in the maintenance office of a large air cargo company and the head of maintenance had just told me that the FAA inspector was looking through all of the "squawk" reports for violations. (a squawk report is where the pilot writes down any maintenance problems or issues that he finds and gives it to maintenance). What a dumb ass. From then on carefully written - minor and non-regulatory items were made in squawk reports. Real problems were reported verbally. The pilot and maintenance staff were protecting themselves.
The FAA had compromised aircraft safety by interfering with a vital communication medium. The squawk report want from being a vital communication link between the pilot and mechanic to being a self-incrementing, self-reporting legal document. And so goes the maintenance logbook. Much maintenance is not entered in the logbook out of fear. Better to not make the entry then have it come back on you by the FAA or attorney trolls.
When you do have to fill out an aircraft maintenance logbook be careful. Here are some tips:
Be accurate and precise.
Here's an example, I have seen many instances where a mechanic installs a repaired or overhauled magneto and writes "installed new magneto". Also, repaired magnetos would become overhauled magnetos in the log entry. Better to put something like installed magneto, part number xxxxx, serial number xxxxxx. This is what you did.
As little as possible, Keep it short and simple. Less is better
Describe the maintenance that you did. Don't describe maintenance that someone else did (like the pilot - have him make his own entry) under your name.
Do not say you did something that you didn't do.
This is fraud and mechanics have gone to federal prison for making false entries. If you said you overhauled that engine you are claiming that you performed every step in the overhaul manual - which is just short of impossible. Another example is the log entry : "All AD's complied with" That's a red-flag entry, list the AD's and your method of compliance.
Make sure you have the authority to do the work you are doing.
Don't make an entry that states that you replaced the diaphragm in the compass. Your A&P license doesn't give you the authority to do this.
If you aren't required to make a logbook entry - Don't
Checklists are dangerous to the mechanic
When ValuJet flight 562 crashed into the Florida Everglades killing all aboard it was found that the oxygen canisters in the cargo hold and accidentally activated causing a fire. One of the maintenance crew was blamed because he had checked off the checklist where it asked if the safety rings were installed on the canisters - they weren't. Pencil-wipping a checklist will get you in trouble.
Also found was that the cargo crew and maintenance staff had no training on oxygen cylinders; Probably didn't know what the safety ring looked like; Didn't know their importance. Their employer provided none of this training. Their employer didn't have any safety rings. But the mechanic was blamed for all of those deaths because he checked off the checklist.
Always charge for what you do and Always get Paid
