Originally Posted by
piperboy84
Is this FAA rule about being a citizen to register a N reg something new? ....
So in a hypothetical situation of a non US citizen owning a N reg in the UK what is to stop him/her simply filling out his details on an updated aircraft registration form and sending it onto the FAA?
No the rule is not new, I believe it is quite long standing.
In your case, the dealer seems to have messed up. You must have either been a US Citizen, a resident alien (i.e. lawfully admitted for permanent residence), or a foreign corporation and certify that 60% (IIRC) of the flight hours are within the US, to have legally registered the aircraft. I believe (but have not checked) that in the fine print on the form it does say this.
It is a good thing you didn't crash as the aircraft was very likely unregistered during the whole of its operation.
I am not clear if you currently own an N-Reg over here, but if you are not a US citizen and you own it (as in have title) then it is not registered and not airworthy and in all likelyhood not insured. Finally, the only clear example, of which I am aware, of an insurer not paying out after a crash invovled Graham Hill's un-registered N-Reg Aztec (although the details of the rational for non-payment remain a bit obscure).