Narrative:

The non standard flight departed otz for wtk with a company a&P mechanic and 1 passenger aboard. The flight was established in cruise at an altitude of 2500 ft MSL at a distance from the destination airport of 20 mi when the company called on the radio (marine VHF channel) that the tailstand was possibly still attached to the aircraft. The flight was more than halfway to the destination airport, so I continued the flight. There was no in-flight indication noted as to if the tailstand was actually in place. All aircraft system and control authority/authorized were normal. The aircraft was landed in wtk in a level attitude so to avoid dragging the tailstand on the runway surface. I taxied the aircraft to the ramp area, completed the shutdown checklist, deplaned the 1 passenger (noting that the tailstand was in fact in place). Then the aforementioned mechanic and myself removed the tailstand and inspected that section of the aircraft for possible damage. No damage of any type was present. After a thorough inspection was performed by the mechanic the flight then departed wtk to return to otz, without further incident. The contributing factor to this event was the established procedure for ground handling the C208B at the otz station. It was SOP for the line technician to load passenger while the PIC took his position in the cockpit to ready the aircraft for start. The tailstand would be left in place while passenger were boarding the aircraft. After all passenger had taken their seats the line technician would secure the cabin door, walk to the tail and remove the tailstand. The line technician would then proceed to the captain's side of the aircraft and then engine start would begin. These same events transpired on the aforementioned flight. These procedures lies the problem. There was never any affirmation procedure established between the line technician and the captain as to the status of the tailstand (whether attached or detached). The corrective action has been to remove the delegated authority/authorized of tailstand removal from the line technician and place it solely in the responsibility of the PIC. After all passenger have been loaded the PIC will seal the cabin and remove the tailstand prior to taxi. Note -- along the route between otz and wtk there are no suitable airports for landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C208B AIR TAXI ACFT DEPARTS WITH TAILSTAND STILL ATTACHED. PLT RECEIVES A RPT INFLT AND WITH NO SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND PRIOR TO DEST CONTINUES THE FLT.

Narrative: THE NON STANDARD FLT DEPARTED OTZ FOR WTK WITH A COMPANY A&P MECH AND 1 PAX ABOARD. THE FLT WAS ESTABLISHED IN CRUISE AT AN ALT OF 2500 FT MSL AT A DISTANCE FROM THE DEST ARPT OF 20 MI WHEN THE COMPANY CALLED ON THE RADIO (MARINE VHF CHANNEL) THAT THE TAILSTAND WAS POSSIBLY STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. THE FLT WAS MORE THAN HALFWAY TO THE DEST ARPT, SO I CONTINUED THE FLT. THERE WAS NO INFLT INDICATION NOTED AS TO IF THE TAILSTAND WAS ACTUALLY IN PLACE. ALL ACFT SYS AND CTL AUTH WERE NORMAL. THE ACFT WAS LANDED IN WTK IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE SO TO AVOID DRAGGING THE TAILSTAND ON THE RWY SURFACE. I TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE RAMP AREA, COMPLETED THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST, DEPLANED THE 1 PAX (NOTING THAT THE TAILSTAND WAS IN FACT IN PLACE). THEN THE AFOREMENTIONED MECH AND MYSELF REMOVED THE TAILSTAND AND INSPECTED THAT SECTION OF THE ACFT FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE. NO DAMAGE OF ANY TYPE WAS PRESENT. AFTER A THOROUGH INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED BY THE MECH THE FLT THEN DEPARTED WTK TO RETURN TO OTZ, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS EVENT WAS THE ESTABLISHED PROC FOR GND HANDLING THE C208B AT THE OTZ STATION. IT WAS SOP FOR THE LINE TECHNICIAN TO LOAD PAX WHILE THE PIC TOOK HIS POS IN THE COCKPIT TO READY THE ACFT FOR START. THE TAILSTAND WOULD BE LEFT IN PLACE WHILE PAX WERE BOARDING THE ACFT. AFTER ALL PAX HAD TAKEN THEIR SEATS THE LINE TECHNICIAN WOULD SECURE THE CABIN DOOR, WALK TO THE TAIL AND REMOVE THE TAILSTAND. THE LINE TECHNICIAN WOULD THEN PROCEED TO THE CAPT'S SIDE OF THE ACFT AND THEN ENG START WOULD BEGIN. THESE SAME EVENTS TRANSPIRED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED FLT. THESE PROCS LIES THE PROB. THERE WAS NEVER ANY AFFIRMATION PROC ESTABLISHED BTWN THE LINE TECHNICIAN AND THE CAPT AS TO THE STATUS OF THE TAILSTAND (WHETHER ATTACHED OR DETACHED). THE CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TO REMOVE THE DELEGATED AUTH OF TAILSTAND REMOVAL FROM THE LINE TECHNICIAN AND PLACE IT SOLELY IN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PIC. AFTER ALL PAX HAVE BEEN LOADED THE PIC WILL SEAL THE CABIN AND REMOVE THE TAILSTAND PRIOR TO TAXI. NOTE -- ALONG THE RTE BTWN OTZ AND WTK THERE ARE NO SUITABLE ARPTS FOR LNDG.

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.