This comes up on the Beech list occasionally where there are all types of professionals, including those in various sections of aviation insurance, so I'll ask this question.
Does anyone have actual facts of where an insurance claim was denied because of what you boys are saying? Not just "I heard - - - -" or "I knew a guy who - - - -". A real life actual saw-it-yourself denial? If one exists, I'd like to see it and I'll surely pass it along to those insurance people I banter with. Al DeMarzo Visit the Ercoupe Swap Page Free, Easy and No Membership Required http://www.ercoupeowners.com/swap/swapbook.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: Mark H. To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 9:52 PM Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Re: Re; Field Approval 337's Ed, You are sure right about the insurance. If there are any changes that are not done the proper way they will not pay out on the claim. They have that in the paperwork. Your aircraft must be airworthy and any changes must be approved. If they are not your insurance is void. Small minor changes are one thing, but things that affect performance or structure are another. The big thing is that everyones thinking of what is safe is different. I'm not just talking about owners. Most owners want to do the right thing, but some don't. I really feel bad for the owers, when an owner trusts an A+P to do the right thing And he doesn't. There are way too many very bad A+P's out there. And the airplanes they turn out are not airworthy. I have see so many airplanes of all types that were butchered. Mosty by bad A+P's and some by owners. I have seen hundreds of bad modifcations and inspections. To give some examples, I did an annual for the first time on this plane. a piper commancee, I found that it had a completely broken rear spar in the center section. The fitting was broken off the spar. The plane had a large patch on the leading edge of the wing that was 5 or 6 years old. The spar had never been inspected after the damage. And it stayed that way till I found it. Great inspections over the years, and a great A+P. The next one was a T-craft that I did for the first time. The owner said the plane was in great shape and the annual would only take a day. One day annuals, yeah right. He must have had plenty of them. After a short walk around I filled a page and a half on a legal pad of things that needed to be fixed. The main one was the spar in the hoizontal stab. was broken in half and the tail would flap like bird wings. Needless to say I didn't get the annual done in a day, I think we spent 5 or 6 weeks on it. Some of that was waiting on parts. Don't get me wrong, with a good helper I can do an annual on a coupe in a day or so. But It has to be one that I know and have been working on for years. And know that everything is up to speed. That is of course I don't find anything major wrong. Mark --- In [email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Hi coupers, > I'm not a Legal Eagle, but I do know this much. > If you happen to bang up your bird and the insurance company finds something > you added to you plane that should have had a 337 even though it had nothing > to do with the accident, it would and could cause your insurance to not to pay > you off. > Many have made minor changes here and there on our aircraft without 337's. > Some of them would make the picky Fed grow hair on the palms of their hands. > It's obvious that most want to be safe and do the correct thing, within > reason to be legal. > It's the very few who make a modification on their own that can cause trouble > that they're unaware of and take it upon themselves to break the law > sometimes without knowing it too. In aviation the penalty can often death by our own > stupidity. That's what field approvals are all about guys. > Let's realize that even a clip to hold the map to the yoke or an installation > like the Garmin Gizmo thing or a mike switch on the yoke would or could > require a 337 field approval. > If the feds had their way adding a good coat of wax to your plane would > require a 337. > We must use good judgment. But at the same time let's be realistic and > practical > about it. Ercoupe owners have a tech advantage to help each other out so as > to avoid the supreme penalty. > Prof. Ed > > > > ************** > One site has it all. Your email accounts, your social networks, > and the things you love. Try the new AOL.com > today! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212962939x1200825291/aol? redir=http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp > %26icid=aolcom40vanity%26ncid=emlcntaolcom00000001) >
