liability from signing off endorsements

[Rally]

What is exactly is the liability for signing off a tailwheel endrosement and the student goes out and totals the plane a few flights later? I am talking about from a pure FAA enforcement action POV not civil liability. Everything was documented correctly etc. This did not happen but just curious from a strictly technical point of view.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Not much.

You'll get a whole bunch of theories of how they can nail you and how worried about it you have to be. But unless the theorists come up with real =verifiable= instances where it has happened, I'd take it with a grain of salt.

True, if a person gets into an accident soon after the sign-off, the FAA will look at the CFI who gave it. Just like they do with many accidents - look at how many past instructors the NTSB looked at when JFK Jr crashed. I've heard of DEs who've been called after a crash of someone who passed a checkride. But I haven't heard of any that resulted in enforcement.

That doesn't mean they don't exist. But I don't think it's a significant worry. I've been asking for verifiable examples of a CFI being held responsible for something a pilot did since 1997 or 1998. I found one - it involves a student pilot who crashed while doing S-turns on final and the NTSB found improper instruction as the probable cause.

Do a good job. Document what you did. Maybe even use a form where the student acknowledges the specifics of the instruction.

 

[JediNein]

NTSB O&O 4878: An Instructor is responsible for their signoffs, 2001.
NTSB O&O 4789: An Instructor can be required to take a 709 ride at any time, even if there is no reason for one, 1999.
NTSB O&O 4509: An instructor has to make signoffs correctly.

I do know of a CFI that lost their certificates and did not contest it to the NTSB. The CFIdiot signed off a guy in a Bonanza for high-performance and complex time without spending any air time with him. The guy landed gear up after a mechanical problem some months later. In the investigation, the Inspector found the endorsements without the documented flight training time.

In other case, an instructor sent a guy off to a commercial certificate checkride. The guy passed and crashed three months later. The DPE was contacted by investigators but the CFI was not. The investigation is ongoing.

Document everything and keep a copy. Do it per the regs and you'll be fine. G

Go Fly!
Jedi Nein

 

[midlifeflyer]

I do know of a CFI that lost their certificates and did not contest it to the NTSB. The CFIdiot signed off a guy in a Bonanza for high-performance and complex time without spending any air time with him. The guy landed gear up after a mechanical problem some months later. In the investigation, the Inspector found the endorsements without the documented flight training time.

Ah! A fine example of the "if you act like a schmuck, you're going to get what you derserve" rule.

 

[Flystr8]

Instructors are responsible for the endorsements they signoff. But then again, everytime you give someone instruction for anything, say a rental checkout, its an endorsement. If that person has an accident, well, they have a private license at least and need to explain. Instruction must be given but the instructor cannot be in that plane forever after that. The safety of the flight is up to the "Pilot in Command." Im doing a complex and high-performance signoff now. The student has about 10hrs of high performance time with me and about 5 hours of complex time. Not giving him the endorsement yet. No minimum time required for these but its my name in his book and hes not yet proficient enough. INSTRUCTORS MUST JUST ALWAYS USE THERE HEADS!!!!!! Someone gave a signoff without flying with that person......IDIOT!!!!!!!!!