Narrative:

I arrived at medium large transport aircraft to fly flight from oma to mdw. The aircraft's electricity was being supplied by external power via the ground service switch. The aircraft battery switch was off. I noted that the emergency dc buss off light was illuminated. I thought that to be unusual because, while the emergency dc buss was indeed not pwred, the power source for the emergency dc buss off lights is the battery bus which should not have been pwred either because the battery switch was off. In fact, I pulled the emergency dc buss off light circuit breaker located on the battery buss and discovered that the light would not extinguish. I entered the discrepancy in the aircraft maintenance log and called a local mechanic. After company flew their own mechanics and parts in, I went into crew rest. The plan was for me to ferry another medium large transport grounded in oma, after repair of a badly leaking main landing gear actuator, to mdw (the next day). I arrived to discover that the plan had changed. Company's own mechanics and electricians had not been able to rectify the electrical malfunction. Technical center had issued a ferry permit and expected me to fly the aircraft to mdw. On previous encounters with aircraft malfunctions, I had called company pilot training department for guidance and found director unavailable and/or unwilling to return my call. I called association's mec chairman, their attorney and FAA medium large transport air crew program designee. Consensus was that the lack of safety lay in the possibility of having to address an electrical smoke and fire emergency, with my inability to remove power from all or a portion of 1 of the important 5 busses. Consensus was also that since company had issued a ferry permit, I would be held harmless from a legal standpoint. I went back to the aircraft and by process of elimination I personally located the source that was abnormally pwring the emergency dc buss off light--the dc xfer buss. At that time, confident that I had idented and could remove power from the offender in the event of electrical smoke and fire, I maintenance ferried medium large transport from oma to mdw. I am not, however, as confident about the legal issue.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CAPT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF COMPANY FERRY PROC.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT MLG ACFT TO FLY FLT FROM OMA TO MDW. THE ACFT'S ELECTRICITY WAS BEING SUPPLIED BY EXTERNAL PWR VIA THE GND SVC SWITCH. THE ACFT BATTERY SWITCH WAS OFF. I NOTED THAT THE EMER DC BUSS OFF LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I THOUGHT THAT TO BE UNUSUAL BECAUSE, WHILE THE EMER DC BUSS WAS INDEED NOT PWRED, THE PWR SOURCE FOR THE EMER DC BUSS OFF LIGHTS IS THE BATTERY BUS WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PWRED EITHER BECAUSE THE BATTERY SWITCH WAS OFF. IN FACT, I PULLED THE EMER DC BUSS OFF LIGHT CB LOCATED ON THE BATTERY BUSS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE LIGHT WOULD NOT EXTINGUISH. I ENTERED THE DISCREPANCY IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG AND CALLED A LCL MECH. AFTER COMPANY FLEW THEIR OWN MECHS AND PARTS IN, I WENT INTO CREW REST. THE PLAN WAS FOR ME TO FERRY ANOTHER MLG GNDED IN OMA, AFTER REPAIR OF A BADLY LEAKING MAIN LNDG GEAR ACTUATOR, TO MDW (THE NEXT DAY). I ARRIVED TO DISCOVER THAT THE PLAN HAD CHANGED. COMPANY'S OWN MECHS AND ELECTRICIANS HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECTIFY THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. TECHNICAL CENTER HAD ISSUED A FERRY PERMIT AND EXPECTED ME TO FLY THE ACFT TO MDW. ON PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS WITH ACFT MALFUNCTIONS, I HAD CALLED COMPANY PLT TRNING DEPT FOR GUIDANCE AND FOUND DIRECTOR UNAVAILABLE AND/OR UNWILLING TO RETURN MY CALL. I CALLED ASSOCIATION'S MEC CHAIRMAN, THEIR ATTORNEY AND FAA MLG AIR CREW PROGRAM DESIGNEE. CONSENSUS WAS THAT THE LACK OF SAFETY LAY IN THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING TO ADDRESS AN ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND FIRE EMER, WITH MY INABILITY TO REMOVE PWR FROM ALL OR A PORTION OF 1 OF THE IMPORTANT 5 BUSSES. CONSENSUS WAS ALSO THAT SINCE COMPANY HAD ISSUED A FERRY PERMIT, I WOULD BE HELD HARMLESS FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT. I WENT BACK TO THE ACFT AND BY PROCESS OF ELIMINATION I PERSONALLY LOCATED THE SOURCE THAT WAS ABNORMALLY PWRING THE EMER DC BUSS OFF LIGHT--THE DC XFER BUSS. AT THAT TIME, CONFIDENT THAT I HAD IDENTED AND COULD REMOVE PWR FROM THE OFFENDER IN THE EVENT OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND FIRE, I MAINT FERRIED MLG FROM OMA TO MDW. I AM NOT, HOWEVER, AS CONFIDENT ABOUT THE LEGAL ISSUE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.