Narrative:

Air crew had just successfully completed an emergency situation where the landing gear was extended using an alternate gear extension method. A landing was completed without incident at the point of departure. Discussions were completed with company dispatch and maintenance personnel and a decision was made to ferry the aircraft back to a maintenance base with the gear down. As captain, I queried dispatch if there were any additional conditions or restrictions which I should be aware of. The maintenance supervisor said 'no' and quoted a page in the aircraft operating data manual (odm). When in the aircraft I consulted the odm but neither the first officer nor I could find the chart in question (a page '16' section 5 was referred to, our pages in section south went to page '14'). As we were at min weights, numerous gear down ferries had been completed and had the 'ok' from company supervisors, we elected to depart. The flight was completed uneventfully to our destination which was clear and VFR. The next day I found the page '16' in the supplement section which stated the flight could only be conducted in VMC conditions. Our departure airport had been partially obscured with occasional overcast conditions. Lessons learned: don't trust the supervisors and don't depart until you locate all the pages.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT FERRIED GEAR DOWN. FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY IN VMC.

Narrative: AIR CREW HAD JUST SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AN EMER SITUATION WHERE THE LNDG GEAR WAS EXTENDED USING AN ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION METHOD. A LNDG WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT THE POINT OF DEP. DISCUSSIONS WERE COMPLETED WITH COMPANY DISPATCH AND MAINT PERSONNEL AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO FERRY THE ACFT BACK TO A MAINT BASE WITH THE GEAR DOWN. AS CAPT, I QUERIED DISPATCH IF THERE WERE ANY ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OR RESTRICTIONS WHICH I SHOULD BE AWARE OF. THE MAINT SUPERVISOR SAID 'NO' AND QUOTED A PAGE IN THE ACFT OPERATING DATA MANUAL (ODM). WHEN IN THE ACFT I CONSULTED THE ODM BUT NEITHER THE FO NOR I COULD FIND THE CHART IN QUESTION (A PAGE '16' SECTION 5 WAS REFERRED TO, OUR PAGES IN SECTION S WENT TO PAGE '14'). AS WE WERE AT MIN WEIGHTS, NUMEROUS GEAR DOWN FERRIES HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND HAD THE 'OK' FROM COMPANY SUPERVISORS, WE ELECTED TO DEPART. THE FLT WAS COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY TO OUR DEST WHICH WAS CLR AND VFR. THE NEXT DAY I FOUND THE PAGE '16' IN THE SUPPLEMENT SECTION WHICH STATED THE FLT COULD ONLY BE CONDUCTED IN VMC CONDITIONS. OUR DEP ARPT HAD BEEN PARTIALLY OBSCURED WITH OCCASIONAL OVCST CONDITIONS. LESSONS LEARNED: DON'T TRUST THE SUPERVISORS AND DON'T DEPART UNTIL YOU LOCATE ALL THE PAGES.

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.