A C182 was dispatched and operated with an uncompleted annual inspection without a ferry permit.

Attributes
ACN	486849
Time
Date	200009
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 1750 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	486849
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	maintenance : inspector
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : inspection authority technician : powerplant
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

The annual inspection on aircraft xyz (a C182E) expired on aug/xa/00. The aircraft is based at XXX, but the facility that typically does the annual inspection is located at ZZZ, about 90 mi away. The facility at ZZZ was not able to schedule the inspection in august. Consequently, a ferry permit was obtained from the XXX FSDO to ferry the aircraft for its annual, and the aircraft was determined to be airworthy by a mechanic based at XXX for the flight to ZZZ. On sep/xa/00, I (the owner) ferried the aircraft to ZZZ in accordance with the limitations specified on the ferry permit. An inspection was performed on the aircraft by the a&P/ia at ZZZ. Some problems were found during the inspection which I was informed would need to be attended to in the near future. However, the facility did not have the time or materials immediately on hand to correct the problems. The mechanic advised me that the aircraft would need to come back the next week to correct those problems. I understood that the mechanic would retain the logbooks and get the paperwork done by the time the aircraft was returned the following week, at which time the additional repairs would also be made. I misunderstood this to mean that the aircraft was airworthy to fly, and that the annual inspection had been successfully completed. This mechanic has routinely completed the paperwork for the logbooks, and returned them to me at a later date on many former annual inspections. The fact that the mechanic in XXX had determined that the aircraft was airworthy to make the original ferry trip reinforced my assumption. I flew the aircraft back to XXX with no problems. On sep/xe/00, the mechanic called to inform me that he would not be able to 'complete the annual' and that he would have to cancel our appointment on sep/xg/00. This came as a shock to me, because I had understood that the 'annual' was complete, but that some minor repairs needed to be attended to that did not affect the airworthiness of the aircraft. But now it is made clear that the aircraft was flown to its home base without an annual and without a valid ferry permit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED WITH AN UNCOMPLETED ANNUAL INSPECTION WITHOUT A FERRY PERMIT.

Narrative: THE ANNUAL INSPECTION ON ACFT XYZ (A C182E) EXPIRED ON AUG/XA/00. THE ACFT IS BASED AT XXX, BUT THE FACILITY THAT TYPICALLY DOES THE ANNUAL INSPECTION IS LOCATED AT ZZZ, ABOUT 90 MI AWAY. THE FACILITY AT ZZZ WAS NOT ABLE TO SCHEDULE THE INSPECTION IN AUGUST. CONSEQUENTLY, A FERRY PERMIT WAS OBTAINED FROM THE XXX FSDO TO FERRY THE ACFT FOR ITS ANNUAL, AND THE ACFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE AIRWORTHY BY A MECH BASED AT XXX FOR THE FLT TO ZZZ. ON SEP/XA/00, I (THE OWNER) FERRIED THE ACFT TO ZZZ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LIMITATIONS SPECIFIED ON THE FERRY PERMIT. AN INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THE ACFT BY THE A&P/IA AT ZZZ. SOME PROBS WERE FOUND DURING THE INSPECTION WHICH I WAS INFORMED WOULD NEED TO BE ATTENDED TO IN THE NEAR FUTURE. HOWEVER, THE FACILITY DID NOT HAVE THE TIME OR MATERIALS IMMEDIATELY ON HAND TO CORRECT THE PROBS. THE MECH ADVISED ME THAT THE ACFT WOULD NEED TO COME BACK THE NEXT WK TO CORRECT THOSE PROBS. I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE MECH WOULD RETAIN THE LOGBOOKS AND GET THE PAPERWORK DONE BY THE TIME THE ACFT WAS RETURNED THE FOLLOWING WK, AT WHICH TIME THE ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WOULD ALSO BE MADE. I MISUNDERSTOOD THIS TO MEAN THAT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY TO FLY, AND THAT THE ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. THIS MECH HAS ROUTINELY COMPLETED THE PAPERWORK FOR THE LOGBOOKS, AND RETURNED THEM TO ME AT A LATER DATE ON MANY FORMER ANNUAL INSPECTIONS. THE FACT THAT THE MECH IN XXX HAD DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY TO MAKE THE ORIGINAL FERRY TRIP REINFORCED MY ASSUMPTION. I FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO XXX WITH NO PROBS. ON SEP/XE/00, THE MECH CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO 'COMPLETE THE ANNUAL' AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO CANCEL OUR APPOINTMENT ON SEP/XG/00. THIS CAME AS A SHOCK TO ME, BECAUSE I HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT THE 'ANNUAL' WAS COMPLETE, BUT THAT SOME MINOR REPAIRS NEEDED TO BE ATTENDED TO THAT DID NOT AFFECT THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT. BUT NOW IT IS MADE CLR THAT THE ACFT WAS FLOWN TO ITS HOME BASE WITHOUT AN ANNUAL AND WITHOUT A VALID FERRY PERMIT.

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.