From the FAA website. As stated above, records are only required for the past 5 years.
22. If a previous employer is no longer in business or has entered into bankruptcy, how is a PRIA request to that previous employer to be completed?
The statutes of PRIA do provide for an entity to hire, and allow a pilot to begin service, after a good faith attempt has been made. If a previous employer is no longer in business, or has filed for bankruptcy, 49 U.S.C. § 44703(h)(14)(B) provides for the hiring entity to document a good faith attempt by mailing the appropriate request forms to the last known address of the previous employer or the trustee of the entity in bankruptcy, via United Stated Postal Service with a request for a certified, return receipt. Once the receipt has been returned as undeliverable, it is maintained in the pilot/applicant’s PRIA-related records file, just as any other requested record would be. After the certified, return receipt has been received, if the hiring entity still wants to extend an offer of employment to the pilot/applicant, they may be hired and begin service 30 days after the original request was made. However, the pilot/applicant may not begin service until the good faith attempt has been completed and documented.