Narrative:

This event involves a maintenance ferry flight with authorizing ferry permit. The FAA ferry permit authority/authorized flight during day/VFR conditions only. I operated the aircraft without knowing these limitations. The company simply faxed us the permit and told us to operate the aircraft to our maintenance base in kissimmee, fl. I realized the error had occurred only after arriving at our destination, when the company president admonished me for operating the aircraft outside the limitations of the ferry permit. The conditions leading up to this circumstance involved a landing gear down light (green) that would not illuminate. When the bulb tested good, we called the company and advised them of the problem. The owner/director of operations stated that he was familiar with the problem and that the aircraft was ok to fly. He also stated that he knew everything was working correctly and that he would 'take it.' I assume that this was a rhetorical statement, since he was in kissimmee, fl, and I was in louisville, ky. I further assumed his statement was an intimation that I should 'take it.' I informed him that I wasn't going to 'take it,' and he suggested that I operate the aircraft with the gear down. I responded that I would not fly the airplane until it was repaired. The director of operations then directed me to 'find a mechanic.' a qualified a&P mechanic concurred that if (the gear light) was broken and that a correct fix would involve changing a switch, and then doing a gear retraction test (which he was unable to do). The next day, the company called me and said the aircraft was fixed and that we had a cargo charter. Upon preflighting the cockpit, none of the gear lights worked and the annunciator lights associated with the right engine did not illuminate. I advised the company of this, and after some internal discussion, I was asked to fly the aircraft to a maintenance facility in kissimmee, fl. I advised the director of maintenance that I thought a ferry permit was required for this type of operation. He told me that I was making a big deal out of nothing and that a ferry permit was not needed. I therefore decided to call the FAA's office in louisville, ky, and spoke with supervisor who advised me that, yes, a ferry permit was required. The company finally did get a permit, but only after supervisor called them. By the time I was able to start the flight, it was XA00 in the afternoon. I think the factors contributing to my operating the flight in violation of the ferry permit, stemmed from a certain intimidation from the company owner who is also the director of operations. There was also a demonstration of neglect of regulations by the director of maintenance. I felt as though, if we had the ferry permit we were ok to go. It didn't occur to me that there were certain limitations that were to be adhered to (day/VFR only). In retrospect, I should have read the permit closely. However, I believe there is responsibility on the part of the company not to dispatch an aircraft illegally. After I arrived at my destination I was thoroughly admonished by the director of operations for calling the FAA, and was told that I had violated the ferry permit. I thereupon offered my registration which was accepted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT ON CHARTER FREIGHT OP FAILED TO NOTE ON THE FAA FERRY PERMIT, FLT PERMITTED DAY VFR ONLY. COMPANY DID NOT ADVISE OF THE RESTR AND HAD THE FLT TO MAINT FOR REPAIRS AT NIGHT PLUS MAKING A STOP FOR FREIGHT. CAPT RESIGNED WHEN CONFRONTED BY THE COMPANY PRESIDENT.

Narrative: THIS EVENT INVOLVES A MAINT FERRY FLT WITH AUTHORIZING FERRY PERMIT. THE FAA FERRY PERMIT AUTH FLT DURING DAY/VFR CONDITIONS ONLY. I OPERATED THE ACFT WITHOUT KNOWING THESE LIMITATIONS. THE COMPANY SIMPLY FAXED US THE PERMIT AND TOLD US TO OPERATE THE ACFT TO OUR MAINT BASE IN KISSIMMEE, FL. I REALIZED THE ERROR HAD OCCURRED ONLY AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR DEST, WHEN THE COMPANY PRESIDENT ADMONISHED ME FOR OPERATING THE ACFT OUTSIDE THE LIMITATIONS OF THE FERRY PERMIT. THE CONDITIONS LEADING UP TO THIS CIRCUMSTANCE INVOLVED A LNDG GEAR DOWN LIGHT (GREEN) THAT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. WHEN THE BULB TESTED GOOD, WE CALLED THE COMPANY AND ADVISED THEM OF THE PROB. THE OWNER/DIRECTOR OF OPS STATED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROB AND THAT THE ACFT WAS OK TO FLY. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE KNEW EVERYTHING WAS WORKING CORRECTLY AND THAT HE WOULD 'TAKE IT.' I ASSUME THAT THIS WAS A RHETORICAL STATEMENT, SINCE HE WAS IN KISSIMMEE, FL, AND I WAS IN LOUISVILLE, KY. I FURTHER ASSUMED HIS STATEMENT WAS AN INTIMATION THAT I SHOULD 'TAKE IT.' I INFORMED HIM THAT I WASN'T GOING TO 'TAKE IT,' AND HE SUGGESTED THAT I OPERATE THE ACFT WITH THE GEAR DOWN. I RESPONDED THAT I WOULD NOT FLY THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT WAS REPAIRED. THE DIRECTOR OF OPS THEN DIRECTED ME TO 'FIND A MECH.' A QUALIFIED A&P MECH CONCURRED THAT IF (THE GEAR LIGHT) WAS BROKEN AND THAT A CORRECT FIX WOULD INVOLVE CHANGING A SWITCH, AND THEN DOING A GEAR RETRACTION TEST (WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO DO). THE NEXT DAY, THE COMPANY CALLED ME AND SAID THE ACFT WAS FIXED AND THAT WE HAD A CARGO CHARTER. UPON PREFLIGHTING THE COCKPIT, NONE OF THE GEAR LIGHTS WORKED AND THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE R ENG DID NOT ILLUMINATE. I ADVISED THE COMPANY OF THIS, AND AFTER SOME INTERNAL DISCUSSION, I WAS ASKED TO FLY THE ACFT TO A MAINT FACILITY IN KISSIMMEE, FL. I ADVISED THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT THAT I THOUGHT A FERRY PERMIT WAS REQUIRED FOR THIS TYPE OF OP. HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF NOTHING AND THAT A FERRY PERMIT WAS NOT NEEDED. I THEREFORE DECIDED TO CALL THE FAA'S OFFICE IN LOUISVILLE, KY, AND SPOKE WITH SUPVR WHO ADVISED ME THAT, YES, A FERRY PERMIT WAS REQUIRED. THE COMPANY FINALLY DID GET A PERMIT, BUT ONLY AFTER SUPVR CALLED THEM. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO START THE FLT, IT WAS XA00 IN THE AFTERNOON. I THINK THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MY OPERATING THE FLT IN VIOLATION OF THE FERRY PERMIT, STEMMED FROM A CERTAIN INTIMIDATION FROM THE COMPANY OWNER WHO IS ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF OPS. THERE WAS ALSO A DEMONSTRATION OF NEGLECT OF REGS BY THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT. I FELT AS THOUGH, IF WE HAD THE FERRY PERMIT WE WERE OK TO GO. IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME THAT THERE WERE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS THAT WERE TO BE ADHERED TO (DAY/VFR ONLY). IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE READ THE PERMIT CLOSELY. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THERE IS RESPONSIBILITY ON THE PART OF THE COMPANY NOT TO DISPATCH AN ACFT ILLEGALLY. AFTER I ARRIVED AT MY DEST I WAS THOROUGHLY ADMONISHED BY THE DIRECTOR OF OPS FOR CALLING THE FAA, AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE FERRY PERMIT. I THEREUPON OFFERED MY REGISTRATION WHICH WAS ACCEPTED.

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.