Pltdevs from ferry permit issued for small transport ferry flight.

Attributes
ACN	234655
Time
Date	199303
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mdt
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 10500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Route In Use	enroute airway : mdt
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 42 flight time total : 4874 flight time type : 1996
ASRS Report	234655
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Our corporate aircraft was recently found to have defective float valves in its fuel tanks and was thus grounded until new values are available or an airworthiness directive is received, which we have been told to expect, which will allow operations with defective valves if higher fuel levels are maintained. A decision was made by company management to ferry the aircraft home from our maintenance facility and a special flight permit was obtained for me from the FAA. I was informed by my maintenance facility that I had to make the flight only within the time period specified, fly only the route specified, and have only myself on board. They further specified conditions must be 'VFR.' since the aircraft had not been flown for quite some time and had major maintenance performed, I was very careful on my preflight and found a number of things that needed to be corrected prior to the trip home. I asked that they be taken care of prior to my departure. When the aircraft was finally ready, the dusk was fast approaching. Part of the cruise portion of the flight and the landing were thus made at 'night.' the flight was totally uneventful. Maintenance had put the special flight permit in my aircraft in the clear pocket for this purpose and made me aware it was there prior to the flight. In addition, the logbook entry required for this permit was made. It was not until after I landed that I discovered a sheet stapled to the back of the special flight permit that listed the conditions required for the flight including that it must be made in day VFR. I feel that my inadvertent violation of this condition could have been avoided in any one of several ways. Pilots need to be taught about the restrictions on such permits. Conditions for such flts should be listed where they are readily available to pilots such as in part 91, not hidden in part 21 to which few pilots have ready access. Direct contact between the pilot and the FSDO where these conditions would have been reviewed would also have prevented the problem. While the FSDO did provide them in written form, I was not aware of their existence until too late.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTDEVS FROM FERRY PERMIT ISSUED FOR SMT FERRY FLT.

Narrative: OUR CORPORATE ACFT WAS RECENTLY FOUND TO HAVE DEFECTIVE FLOAT VALVES IN ITS FUEL TANKS AND WAS THUS GNDED UNTIL NEW VALUES ARE AVAILABLE OR AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE IS RECEIVED, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT, WHICH WILL ALLOW OPS WITH DEFECTIVE VALVES IF HIGHER FUEL LEVELS ARE MAINTAINED. A DECISION WAS MADE BY COMPANY MGMNT TO FERRY THE ACFT HOME FROM OUR MAINT FACILITY AND A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT WAS OBTAINED FOR ME FROM THE FAA. I WAS INFORMED BY MY MAINT FACILITY THAT I HAD TO MAKE THE FLT ONLY WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD SPECIFIED, FLY ONLY THE RTE SPECIFIED, AND HAVE ONLY MYSELF ON BOARD. THEY FURTHER SPECIFIED CONDITIONS MUST BE 'VFR.' SINCE THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND HAD MAJOR MAINT PERFORMED, I WAS VERY CAREFUL ON MY PREFLT AND FOUND A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED PRIOR TO THE TRIP HOME. I ASKED THAT THEY BE TAKEN CARE OF PRIOR TO MY DEP. WHEN THE ACFT WAS FINALLY READY, THE DUSK WAS FAST APCHING. PART OF THE CRUISE PORTION OF THE FLT AND THE LNDG WERE THUS MADE AT 'NIGHT.' THE FLT WAS TOTALLY UNEVENTFUL. MAINT HAD PUT THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT IN MY ACFT IN THE CLR POCKET FOR THIS PURPOSE AND MADE ME AWARE IT WAS THERE PRIOR TO THE FLT. IN ADDITION, THE LOGBOOK ENTRY REQUIRED FOR THIS PERMIT WAS MADE. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER I LANDED THAT I DISCOVERED A SHEET STAPLED TO THE BACK OF THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT THAT LISTED THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR THE FLT INCLUDING THAT IT MUST BE MADE IN DAY VFR. I FEEL THAT MY INADVERTENT VIOLATION OF THIS CONDITION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IN ANY ONE OF SEVERAL WAYS. PLTS NEED TO BE TAUGHT ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS ON SUCH PERMITS. CONDITIONS FOR SUCH FLTS SHOULD BE LISTED WHERE THEY ARE READILY AVAILABLE TO PLTS SUCH AS IN PART 91, NOT HIDDEN IN PART 21 TO WHICH FEW PLTS HAVE READY ACCESS. DIRECT CONTACT BTWN THE PLT AND THE FSDO WHERE THESE CONDITIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN REVIEWED WOULD ALSO HAVE PREVENTED THE PROB. WHILE THE FSDO DID PROVIDE THEM IN WRITTEN FORM, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THEIR EXISTENCE UNTIL TOO LATE.

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.