Narrative:

While I was on a training flight (mar/sun/04) with another pilot, we developed an oil leak on the left engine of an aeronautical commander 680 at delano, ca. I determined the aircraft to be non-airworthy, secured the aircraft and made xportation arrangements for the other pilot and myself back to bakersfield. I returned to delano on mar/tue/04 with a mechanic. It was determined the auxiliary oil cooler was the source of the leak. I called and made arrangement for a new cooler to be delivered to the shop in bakersfield thinking we would again have to return to delano to install it. Subsequently, it occurred to me that the oil cooler was only a small auxiliary one, it was a cool day, the aircraft was very light, and bakersfield was only an 8 min flight with 2 airports north between. I could terminate the flight very quickly if there were any unusual indications, especially a higher than normal oil temperature. I asked the mechanic if he thought it was safe to bypass this cooler so I could fly the aircraft to bakersfield for final repair. He thought it was safe and did the bypass as I asked. I flew the aircraft to bakersfield. Of course, I paid special attention to the oil temperature gauges from start-up to shut-down. There were no unusual indications or incidents. Since reflecting on that day's events and a discussion with a flight instructor, I have become concerned that a ferry permit might have been required. Although I have not been able to find ferry permit regulations to study, it appears to me that since the equipment had been removed, we could have placarded the cockpit control and recorded the maintenance according to part 91.215d3i. I will continue to look into this further. Looking back, I was preoccupied with getting the aircraft back in service. I was assisting with troubleshooting the cause of the oil leak, arranging to get a new oil cooler delivered, considering the safety of flight, and planning for any contingencies for every phase of flight should there by any unusual indications. I believe my preoccupation for getting the aircraft back in service combined with my weakness with the regulations in this area overshadowed consideration of any regulatory requirements. I will give pause and greater consideration to possible regulations in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AC68 PLT BYPASSED THE AUX OIL COOLER THAT WAS LEAKING. THE PLT FLEW THE ACFT WITHOUT A FERRY PERMIT OR AN MEL OK.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS ON A TRAINING FLT (MAR/SUN/04) WITH ANOTHER PLT, WE DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK ON THE L ENG OF AN AERO COMMANDER 680 AT DELANO, CA. I DETERMINED THE ACFT TO BE NON-AIRWORTHY, SECURED THE ACFT AND MADE XPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE OTHER PLT AND MYSELF BACK TO BAKERSFIELD. I RETURNED TO DELANO ON MAR/TUE/04 WITH A MECH. IT WAS DETERMINED THE AUX OIL COOLER WAS THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. I CALLED AND MADE ARRANGEMENT FOR A NEW COOLER TO BE DELIVERED TO THE SHOP IN BAKERSFIELD THINKING WE WOULD AGAIN HAVE TO RETURN TO DELANO TO INSTALL IT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE OIL COOLER WAS ONLY A SMALL AUX ONE, IT WAS A COOL DAY, THE ACFT WAS VERY LIGHT, AND BAKERSFIELD WAS ONLY AN 8 MIN FLT WITH 2 ARPTS N BTWN. I COULD TERMINATE THE FLT VERY QUICKLY IF THERE WERE ANY UNUSUAL INDICATIONS, ESPECIALLY A HIGHER THAN NORMAL OIL TEMP. I ASKED THE MECH IF HE THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO BYPASS THIS COOLER SO I COULD FLY THE ACFT TO BAKERSFIELD FOR FINAL REPAIR. HE THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE AND DID THE BYPASS AS I ASKED. I FLEW THE ACFT TO BAKERSFIELD. OF COURSE, I PAID SPECIAL ATTN TO THE OIL TEMP GAUGES FROM START-UP TO SHUT-DOWN. THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL INDICATIONS OR INCIDENTS. SINCE REFLECTING ON THAT DAY'S EVENTS AND A DISCUSSION WITH A FLT INSTRUCTOR, I HAVE BECOME CONCERNED THAT A FERRY PERMIT MIGHT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND FERRY PERMIT REGS TO STUDY, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT SINCE THE EQUIP HAD BEEN REMOVED, WE COULD HAVE PLACARDED THE COCKPIT CTL AND RECORDED THE MAINT ACCORDING TO PART 91.215D3I. I WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER. LOOKING BACK, I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH GETTING THE ACFT BACK IN SVC. I WAS ASSISTING WITH TROUBLESHOOTING THE CAUSE OF THE OIL LEAK, ARRANGING TO GET A NEW OIL COOLER DELIVERED, CONSIDERING THE SAFETY OF FLT, AND PLANNING FOR ANY CONTINGENCIES FOR EVERY PHASE OF FLT SHOULD THERE BY ANY UNUSUAL INDICATIONS. I BELIEVE MY PREOCCUPATION FOR GETTING THE ACFT BACK IN SVC COMBINED WITH MY WEAKNESS WITH THE REGS IN THIS AREA OVERSHADOWED CONSIDERATION OF ANY REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. I WILL GIVE PAUSE AND GREATER CONSIDERATION TO POSSIBLE REGS IN THE FUTURE.

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.