PA28 pilot flew a damaged aircraft without obtaining an FAA ferry permit.

Attributes
ACN	563840
Time
Date	200210
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ecg.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : maintenance ground : takeoff roll ground : taxi ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1216 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	563840
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : unqualified personnel
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

My aircraft was damaged earlier in the day (while parked and tied down on the ramp at ecg) by a hit-and-run aircraft. Damage was loss of part of 1 leg of the VOR antenna and damage to the rudder. The rudder spar appeared straight and damage appeared to be cosmetic. I sought the assistance of a mechanic, but none were immediately found that could examine the aircraft. I made plans to return home via rental car. I did not take any damage to my aircraft lightly. A mechanic did appear at the field. He inspected the aircraft and responded that the rudder damage was minor and that flight would be ok. He also responded that the VOR radios should still work fine, but that a functional check was a good idea. I confirmed good VOR radial information by tuning an ecg VOR and checked radial direction. Once I had received advice of a mechanic and confirmed good function, I was confident that the structure and the navrdo's would be safe for a return flight. With the damage appearing to be primarily cosmetic, and with a mechanic and functional check confirming this, I felt that a safe flight would not be at issue. The flight home was planned for ecg to mgw for fuel, then to ab. The ecg to mgw leg would require IFR as there was IMC in the middle of the route, but the departure from ecg and arrival at mgw were expected to be in good VMC. I decided to perform another functional check of the VOR's prior to entering IMC. I filed IFR for mgw. After takeoff and while more than 40 mi from the richmond VOR, I confirmed position via pilotage and LORAN and confirmed that both VOR's were providing good radial information. The flight was conducted as planned and without incident. In the FAA investigation of the hit-and-run incident that damaged my aircraft, I was informed by the FAA that a 'ferry permit' is required when the airplane is made unairworthy, and that damage to a control surface usually qualifies. I stand educated and chastened by the news that even with the structure not compromised and the damage cosmetic, the airplane may be considered 'unairworthy' by the FAA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT FLEW A DAMAGED ACFT WITHOUT OBTAINING AN FAA FERRY PERMIT.

Narrative: MY ACFT WAS DAMAGED EARLIER IN THE DAY (WHILE PARKED AND TIED DOWN ON THE RAMP AT ECG) BY A HIT-AND-RUN ACFT. DAMAGE WAS LOSS OF PART OF 1 LEG OF THE VOR ANTENNA AND DAMAGE TO THE RUDDER. THE RUDDER SPAR APPEARED STRAIGHT AND DAMAGE APPEARED TO BE COSMETIC. I SOUGHT THE ASSISTANCE OF A MECH, BUT NONE WERE IMMEDIATELY FOUND THAT COULD EXAMINE THE ACFT. I MADE PLANS TO RETURN HOME VIA RENTAL CAR. I DID NOT TAKE ANY DAMAGE TO MY ACFT LIGHTLY. A MECH DID APPEAR AT THE FIELD. HE INSPECTED THE ACFT AND RESPONDED THAT THE RUDDER DAMAGE WAS MINOR AND THAT FLT WOULD BE OK. HE ALSO RESPONDED THAT THE VOR RADIOS SHOULD STILL WORK FINE, BUT THAT A FUNCTIONAL CHK WAS A GOOD IDEA. I CONFIRMED GOOD VOR RADIAL INFO BY TUNING AN ECG VOR AND CHKED RADIAL DIRECTION. ONCE I HAD RECEIVED ADVICE OF A MECH AND CONFIRMED GOOD FUNCTION, I WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE STRUCTURE AND THE NAVRDO'S WOULD BE SAFE FOR A RETURN FLT. WITH THE DAMAGE APPEARING TO BE PRIMARILY COSMETIC, AND WITH A MECH AND FUNCTIONAL CHK CONFIRMING THIS, I FELT THAT A SAFE FLT WOULD NOT BE AT ISSUE. THE FLT HOME WAS PLANNED FOR ECG TO MGW FOR FUEL, THEN TO AB. THE ECG TO MGW LEG WOULD REQUIRE IFR AS THERE WAS IMC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RTE, BUT THE DEP FROM ECG AND ARR AT MGW WERE EXPECTED TO BE IN GOOD VMC. I DECIDED TO PERFORM ANOTHER FUNCTIONAL CHK OF THE VOR'S PRIOR TO ENTERING IMC. I FILED IFR FOR MGW. AFTER TKOF AND WHILE MORE THAN 40 MI FROM THE RICHMOND VOR, I CONFIRMED POS VIA PILOTAGE AND LORAN AND CONFIRMED THAT BOTH VOR'S WERE PROVIDING GOOD RADIAL INFO. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED AS PLANNED AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN THE FAA INVESTIGATION OF THE HIT-AND-RUN INCIDENT THAT DAMAGED MY ACFT, I WAS INFORMED BY THE FAA THAT A 'FERRY PERMIT' IS REQUIRED WHEN THE AIRPLANE IS MADE UNAIRWORTHY, AND THAT DAMAGE TO A CTL SURFACE USUALLY QUALIFIES. I STAND EDUCATED AND CHASTENED BY THE NEWS THAT EVEN WITH THE STRUCTURE NOT COMPROMISED AND THE DAMAGE COSMETIC, THE AIRPLANE MAY BE CONSIDERED 'UNAIRWORTHY' BY THE FAA.

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.