An atx frtr pilot flew an aircraft without a ferry permit.

Attributes
ACN	261641
Time
Date	199401
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cak
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	261641
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Advised by dispatch to swap planes with crew at cak who had experienced an elevator trim failure. After swap, other crew took our aircraft. Our maintenance department obtained a mechanic to fix elevator trim on downed aircraft. After rest, we were dispatched to return aircraft to our maintenance base. Our chief mechanic advised me that aircraft was ready for ferry flight to base over phone. At airport, the mechanic who fixed aircraft stated he did not have part to fix trim, but had disabled elevator trim in neutral position to allow aircraft to be ferried home. He asked to sign aircraft log showing his work and advised me aircraft was in airworthy condition. Under this knowledge I believed aircraft was legal to fly. I arrived at maintenance base safely. A couple of days later I am advised by our mechanic that this flight was illegal since aircraft did not have a ferry permit and that trim was not corrected to completely fixed situation. I believe I was misled by the chief of maintenance that the aircraft was legal to fly to maintenance base part 91 as a ferry flight and that the mechanic performing the maintenance away from base thought this also. This problem could have been prevented had our maintenance assured that aircraft was fixed completely instead of trying to save a few bucks by having the plane brought home instead of fixed on the road and misleading all who were involved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX FRTR PLT FLEW AN ACFT WITHOUT A FERRY PERMIT.

Narrative: ADVISED BY DISPATCH TO SWAP PLANES WITH CREW AT CAK WHO HAD EXPERIENCED AN ELEVATOR TRIM FAILURE. AFTER SWAP, OTHER CREW TOOK OUR ACFT. OUR MAINT DEPT OBTAINED A MECH TO FIX ELEVATOR TRIM ON DOWNED ACFT. AFTER REST, WE WERE DISPATCHED TO RETURN ACFT TO OUR MAINT BASE. OUR CHIEF MECH ADVISED ME THAT ACFT WAS READY FOR FERRY FLIGHT TO BASE OVER PHONE. AT ARPT, THE MECH WHO FIXED ACFT STATED HE DID NOT HAVE PART TO FIX TRIM, BUT HAD DISABLED ELEVATOR TRIM IN NEUTRAL POS TO ALLOW ACFT TO BE FERRIED HOME. HE ASKED TO SIGN ACFT LOG SHOWING HIS WORK AND ADVISED ME ACFT WAS IN AIRWORTHY CONDITION. UNDER THIS KNOWLEDGE I BELIEVED ACFT WAS LEGAL TO FLY. I ARRIVED AT MAINT BASE SAFELY. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I AM ADVISED BY OUR MECH THAT THIS FLT WAS ILLEGAL SINCE ACFT DID NOT HAVE A FERRY PERMIT AND THAT TRIM WAS NOT CORRECTED TO COMPLETELY FIXED SIT. I BELIEVE I WAS MISLED BY THE CHIEF OF MAINT THAT THE ACFT WAS LEGAL TO FLY TO MAINT BASE PART 91 AS A FERRY FLT AND THAT THE MECH PERFORMING THE MAINT AWAY FROM BASE THOUGHT THIS ALSO. THIS PROB COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD OUR MAINT ASSURED THAT ACFT WAS FIXED COMPLETELY INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS BY HAVING THE PLANE BROUGHT HOME INSTEAD OF FIXED ON THE ROAD AND MISLEADING ALL WHO WERE INVOLVED.

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.