Narrative:

Mechanic maintained that getting a ferry permit would not be a problem and that only the administrative papers had to be taken care of. They stated that the permit needed to be issued but was not required to be carried on the aircraft. Prior to departure the logbooks were inspected by the owner, mechanics and the FAA representative. It was getting late in the afternoon and for safety reasons it was decided that our departure would be expedited. So pilot and I left to begin the trip home. We left with the understanding that the permit would be issued to xx. Xx was making the trip home on a commercial flight and left the airport after us. It was decided, for safety reasons, that he would carry the ferry permit. In this manner, if the airplane was to have unexpected problems the original ferry permit would not be lost. We had an uneventful flight from texas to louisiana. We landed for a short rest, refueled the aircraft and did a thorough preflight inspection. From louisiana we flew without incident to pensacola, florida. It was beginning to get dark and we decided to stay the night. We requested tie-downs to secure the aircraft from the FBO located on the airport. The next morning, we requested a lineman to bring fuel to the aircraft. I fueled the airplane to assure compliance with the airworthiness directive concerning filler caps. I wanted to make sure that improper and/or wrong fuel was not used. At this time, pilot and I were approached by men who identified themselves as being from the government. We were requested to comply with and agree to a search of the aircraft and our personal effects by canines. We were further told that if we cooperated fully we would not be detained if the search did not reveal anything illegal and if the reports indicated there were no outstanding warrants or convictions. When the searches were completed and the reports came back from the agencies neither showed any cause for detainment. Regardless of these findings, or lack of same, we were not allowed to leave. The dea agents took possession of our personal belongings including bank cards, medical certificates, pilot licenses, bill of sale and personal appointment books. It was my personal feeling that because the dea agents could not locate any drugs, money or warrants they would continue to search all available avenues until some problem was found. Hours later it was discovered that no ferry permit was among the papers on board the aircraft. We explained that the ferry permit had been issued and was in possession as a safety precaution. We were informed by the dea agent that no ferry permit had been issued. We were further told by the FAA representative in birmingham, alabama, that the logbook entry was not sufficient for issuance of a ferry permit. Apparently, the mechanic in texas refused to complete the necessary paperwork after our departure. The pilot conducting the flight, and I were informed that to continue the flight would be an infraction. It would be necessary for a certified mechanic to reinspect the airplane to assure it was in good condition. Additionally, I would need to apply for a ferry permit to complete the flight. Also, I would need final approval. I contacted a mechanic and after a 2 hour inspection, at $40.00 per hour, the proper log book entry was made and certified. Afterwards, the appropriate ferry permit was issued and we were free to leave.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEW OWNER OF ACFT GROUNDED AT PNS BY DEA AND FAA - NO FERRY PERMIT. REINSPECTION REQUIRED, COMPLETED, FERRY PERMIT OBTAINED, FLT CONTINUED.

Narrative: MECH MAINTAINED THAT GETTING A FERRY PERMIT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM AND THAT ONLY THE ADMINISTRATIVE PAPERS HAD TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. THEY STATED THAT THE PERMIT NEEDED TO BE ISSUED BUT WAS NOT REQUIRED TO BE CARRIED ON THE ACFT. PRIOR TO DEP THE LOGBOOKS WERE INSPECTED BY THE OWNER, MECHS AND THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE. IT WAS GETTING LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND FOR SAFETY REASONS IT WAS DECIDED THAT OUR DEP WOULD BE EXPEDITED. SO PLT AND I LEFT TO BEGIN THE TRIP HOME. WE LEFT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PERMIT WOULD BE ISSUED TO XX. XX WAS MAKING THE TRIP HOME ON A COMMERCIAL FLT AND LEFT THE ARPT AFTER US. IT WAS DECIDED, FOR SAFETY REASONS, THAT HE WOULD CARRY THE FERRY PERMIT. IN THIS MANNER, IF THE AIRPLANE WAS TO HAVE UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS THE ORIGINAL FERRY PERMIT WOULD NOT BE LOST. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM TEXAS TO LOUISIANA. WE LANDED FOR A SHORT REST, REFUELED THE ACFT AND DID A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION. FROM LOUISIANA WE FLEW WITHOUT INCIDENT TO PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. IT WAS BEGINNING TO GET DARK AND WE DECIDED TO STAY THE NIGHT. WE REQUESTED TIE-DOWNS TO SECURE THE ACFT FROM THE FBO LOCATED ON THE ARPT. THE NEXT MORNING, WE REQUESTED A LINEMAN TO BRING FUEL TO THE ACFT. I FUELED THE AIRPLANE TO ASSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE CONCERNING FILLER CAPS. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IMPROPER AND/OR WRONG FUEL WAS NOT USED. AT THIS TIME, PLT AND I WERE APCHED BY MEN WHO IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS BEING FROM THE GOV. WE WERE REQUESTED TO COMPLY WITH AND AGREE TO A SEARCH OF THE ACFT AND OUR PERSONAL EFFECTS BY CANINES. WE WERE FURTHER TOLD THAT IF WE COOPERATED FULLY WE WOULD NOT BE DETAINED IF THE SEARCH DID NOT REVEAL ANYTHING ILLEGAL AND IF THE RPTS INDICATED THERE WERE NO OUTSTANDING WARRANTS OR CONVICTIONS. WHEN THE SEARCHES WERE COMPLETED AND THE RPTS CAME BACK FROM THE AGENCIES NEITHER SHOWED ANY CAUSE FOR DETAINMENT. REGARDLESS OF THESE FINDINGS, OR LACK OF SAME, WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE. THE DEA AGENTS TOOK POSSESSION OF OUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS INCLUDING BANK CARDS, MEDICAL CERTIFICATES, PLT LICENSES, BILL OF SALE AND PERSONAL APPOINTMENT BOOKS. IT WAS MY PERSONAL FEELING THAT BECAUSE THE DEA AGENTS COULD NOT LOCATE ANY DRUGS, MONEY OR WARRANTS THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO SEARCH ALL AVAILABLE AVENUES UNTIL SOME PROBLEM WAS FOUND. HRS LATER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT NO FERRY PERMIT WAS AMONG THE PAPERS ON BOARD THE ACFT. WE EXPLAINED THAT THE FERRY PERMIT HAD BEEN ISSUED AND WAS IN POSSESSION AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. WE WERE INFORMED BY THE DEA AGENT THAT NO FERRY PERMIT HAD BEEN ISSUED. WE WERE FURTHER TOLD BY THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, THAT THE LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR ISSUANCE OF A FERRY PERMIT. APPARENTLY, THE MECH IN TEXAS REFUSED TO COMPLETE THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK AFTER OUR DEP. THE PLT CONDUCTING THE FLT, AND I WERE INFORMED THAT TO CONTINUE THE FLT WOULD BE AN INFRACTION. IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR A CERTIFIED MECH TO REINSPECT THE AIRPLANE TO ASSURE IT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD NEED TO APPLY FOR A FERRY PERMIT TO COMPLETE THE FLT. ALSO, I WOULD NEED FINAL APPROVAL. I CONTACTED A MECH AND AFTER A 2 HR INSPECTION, AT $40.00 PER HR, THE PROPER LOG BOOK ENTRY WAS MADE AND CERTIFIED. AFTERWARDS, THE APPROPRIATE FERRY PERMIT WAS ISSUED AND WE WERE FREE TO LEAVE.

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.