Narrative:

This report regards a ferry flight on a sunday evening. I was the captain of a 2 man crew taking over an aircraft at the beginning of my shift. The previous crew had written-up an item on the plane that was not MEL'ed. Basically the aircraft was grounded. I called maintenance and was told to ferry the aircraft to our maintenance base. It was my first write-up as a captain, so I asked to speak to an inspector (ia) to verify my wording on the discrepancy log. The inspector said that all I needed to write was: 'reposition from (place) to (place) with minimum crew via phone conversation with inspector (name).' he said no mechanic or ferry (on paper) permit was needed because it was a remote location and the discrepancy did not affect the flight characteristics of the aircraft and it was safe to fly. Before I wrote in the discrepancy log, I checked my operations manual on our requirements for a ferry flight. It states that 'the certificate holder shall have the aircraft inspected or evaluated according to procedures in its manual and have a certified mechanic or repairman certify in the aircraft record that the aircraft is in a safe condition for flight as specified in the operations manual.' I called the inspector again to verify that his statement, written by me, fulfilled the obligation of our operations manual. He laughed as if I were a fool and said 'yes, that's all you need to write.' I then asked again, 'and there's no mechanic needed to sign the log?' he said 'no.' although I questioned it, since he was an ia, I thought that if anyone knew how to write up a ferry flight, it was he. So, I wrote what he said to in the discrepancy log. Prior to my flight I called him once again, thinking that he may have thought about it a while and questioned it himself. I told him exactly what I wrote and asked him if this was ok. He said 'that's great. I'll see you in a while.' so, I went on that and ferried the plane to maintenance. When I arrived, I showed the inspector my write up and said, 'are you sure I didn't need a mechanic to sign this off?' he laughed and said 'no.' after further questioning with company personnel, I realized that I actually did need a mechanic sign off. Sometimes we are allowed to use 'as per phone conversation' as valid authority/authorized to continue flying under certain MEL's. I believed that the mechanic could 'evaluate' and 'certify' via phone conversation because I have seen it in the past. Apparently it cannot be certified over the phone for a ferry flight. I do not believe that is clear in our operations manual. The mechanic (ia) involved was reprimanded and classes are now being held for all mechanics as a result of this occurrence. Hopefully they understand what they are allowed to ask us to do and the pilots understand what we can accept.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING PREFLT CAPT FAILED TO GET THE MECH SIGN OFF FOR A MAINT FERRY FLT OK.

Narrative: THIS RPT REGARDS A FERRY FLT ON A SUNDAY EVENING. I WAS THE CAPT OF A 2 MAN CREW TAKING OVER AN ACFT AT THE BEGINNING OF MY SHIFT. THE PREVIOUS CREW HAD WRITTEN-UP AN ITEM ON THE PLANE THAT WAS NOT MEL'ED. BASICALLY THE ACFT WAS GNDED. I CALLED MAINT AND WAS TOLD TO FERRY THE ACFT TO OUR MAINT BASE. IT WAS MY FIRST WRITE-UP AS A CAPT, SO I ASKED TO SPEAK TO AN INSPECTOR (IA) TO VERIFY MY WORDING ON THE DISCREPANCY LOG. THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT ALL I NEEDED TO WRITE WAS: 'REPOSITION FROM (PLACE) TO (PLACE) WITH MINIMUM CREW VIA PHONE CONVERSATION WITH INSPECTOR (NAME).' HE SAID NO MECH OR FERRY (ON PAPER) PERMIT WAS NEEDED BECAUSE IT WAS A REMOTE LOCATION AND THE DISCREPANCY DID NOT AFFECT THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACFT AND IT WAS SAFE TO FLY. BEFORE I WROTE IN THE DISCREPANCY LOG, I CHKED MY OPS MANUAL ON OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR A FERRY FLT. IT STATES THAT 'THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER SHALL HAVE THE ACFT INSPECTED OR EVALUATED ACCORDING TO PROCS IN ITS MANUAL AND HAVE A CERTIFIED MECH OR REPAIRMAN CERTIFY IN THE ACFT RECORD THAT THE ACFT IS IN A SAFE CONDITION FOR FLT AS SPECIFIED IN THE OPS MANUAL.' I CALLED THE INSPECTOR AGAIN TO VERIFY THAT HIS STATEMENT, WRITTEN BY ME, FULFILLED THE OBLIGATION OF OUR OPS MANUAL. HE LAUGHED AS IF I WERE A FOOL AND SAID 'YES, THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO WRITE.' I THEN ASKED AGAIN, 'AND THERE'S NO MECH NEEDED TO SIGN THE LOG?' HE SAID 'NO.' ALTHOUGH I QUESTIONED IT, SINCE HE WAS AN IA, I THOUGHT THAT IF ANYONE KNEW HOW TO WRITE UP A FERRY FLT, IT WAS HE. SO, I WROTE WHAT HE SAID TO IN THE DISCREPANCY LOG. PRIOR TO MY FLT I CALLED HIM ONCE AGAIN, THINKING THAT HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT A WHILE AND QUESTIONED IT HIMSELF. I TOLD HIM EXACTLY WHAT I WROTE AND ASKED HIM IF THIS WAS OK. HE SAID 'THAT'S GREAT. I'LL SEE YOU IN A WHILE.' SO, I WENT ON THAT AND FERRIED THE PLANE TO MAINT. WHEN I ARRIVED, I SHOWED THE INSPECTOR MY WRITE UP AND SAID, 'ARE YOU SURE I DIDN'T NEED A MECH TO SIGN THIS OFF?' HE LAUGHED AND SAID 'NO.' AFTER FURTHER QUESTIONING WITH COMPANY PERSONNEL, I REALIZED THAT I ACTUALLY DID NEED A MECH SIGN OFF. SOMETIMES WE ARE ALLOWED TO USE 'AS PER PHONE CONVERSATION' AS VALID AUTH TO CONTINUE FLYING UNDER CERTAIN MEL'S. I BELIEVED THAT THE MECH COULD 'EVALUATE' AND 'CERTIFY' VIA PHONE CONVERSATION BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN IT IN THE PAST. APPARENTLY IT CANNOT BE CERTIFIED OVER THE PHONE FOR A FERRY FLT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS CLR IN OUR OPS MANUAL. THE MECH (IA) INVOLVED WAS REPRIMANDED AND CLASSES ARE NOW BEING HELD FOR ALL MECHS AS A RESULT OF THIS OCCURRENCE. HOPEFULLY THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO ASK US TO DO AND THE PLTS UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CAN ACCEPT.

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.