FSDO's and their varying intepretations...

A certain student came and asked, "Master, what is the greatest of all the
laws of flying?" The Master replied, "Do not Crash. And the second is like
unto it: Do not cause another to Crash. On these hang all the law and all
the regulations." The student said, "But, Master, what does it mean to
crash?" The Master replied, "A certain pilot went up from Kansas to Oshkosh
to attend the pilgrimage there. Along the way his engine began to run rough
and the pilot, suspecting fuel contamination, landed at a nearby airport. He
checked his fuel and saw that it was good. He asked a local mechanic with IA
what could the problem be, but the mechanic was busy conducting an annual,
but he looked it over and could not find anything obviously wrong. He said
he could not get to a more thorough check until next week. The pilot asked
an FAA inspector who was passing through, but the inspector was late for a
meeting and hurried on his way. Lastly, the pilot asked a flight instructor
who suggested they take a short flight and see if they could determine what
the problem was. The pilot agreed and they took off. The engine quit and the
airplane fell from the sky and great was the fall of it, for the pilots had
filed no flight plan."

The Master asked, "Now, which of these people was responsible for the
crash?" The student replied, "Master, it is difficult to determine this from
just using the FARs." The Master said, "Thou hast gained wisdom, child. For
no matter how clearly the law is given, there will always be different
interpretations and unforseen circumstances. Go, and do the best you can,
knowing that even your best will not always be good enough."