Narrative:

I unknowingly ferried an aircraft from bridgewater, va, to mexia, tx, which required a ferry permit. My personal understanding was that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition for the ferry, even though I had the knowledge that the aircraft was indicating a crack in the spar. I was asked to ferry the aircraft to texas. Nothing was said to me about a permit by flight or maintenance personnel, so I assumed that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition for the flight. I believe that better communication would lead to this never happening again in the future. Policies must be instituted that an aircraft not be released for flight unless the appropriate persons are notified and give consent. There was a rush involved in this job both from the pilot end to get the job done and get back home and a maintenance end to get the aircraft flown during the window of time a pilot would be present. From a personal standpoint, I will look closer at maintenance records before I take PIC responsibility of an aircraft. I see a need for more communication between flight and maintenance personnel. An aircraft that is unairworthy must be indicated so in an appropriate fashion and not allowed to have that status removed until the appropriate person removes it. I was not educated at all on ferry permits in my commercial pilot certification and these maintenance/flight issues might be something to include in commercial pilot curriculum.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT CONDUCTED A U-21 (UTE-KING AIR) FERRY FLT FOR A WING SPAR REPLACEMENT WITHOUT A FERRY PERMIT.

Narrative: I UNKNOWINGLY FERRIED AN ACFT FROM BRIDGEWATER, VA, TO MEXIA, TX, WHICH REQUIRED A FERRY PERMIT. MY PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE ACFT WAS IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION FOR THE FERRY, EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE ACFT WAS INDICATING A CRACK IN THE SPAR. I WAS ASKED TO FERRY THE ACFT TO TEXAS. NOTHING WAS SAID TO ME ABOUT A PERMIT BY FLT OR MAINT PERSONNEL, SO I ASSUMED THAT THE ACFT WAS IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION FOR THE FLT. I BELIEVE THAT BETTER COM WOULD LEAD TO THIS NEVER HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. POLICIES MUST BE INSTITUTED THAT AN ACFT NOT BE RELEASED FOR FLT UNLESS THE APPROPRIATE PERSONS ARE NOTIFIED AND GIVE CONSENT. THERE WAS A RUSH INVOLVED IN THIS JOB BOTH FROM THE PLT END TO GET THE JOB DONE AND GET BACK HOME AND A MAINT END TO GET THE ACFT FLOWN DURING THE WINDOW OF TIME A PLT WOULD BE PRESENT. FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT, I WILL LOOK CLOSER AT MAINT RECORDS BEFORE I TAKE PIC RESPONSIBILITY OF AN ACFT. I SEE A NEED FOR MORE COM BTWN FLT AND MAINT PERSONNEL. AN ACFT THAT IS UNAIRWORTHY MUST BE INDICATED SO IN AN APPROPRIATE FASHION AND NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THAT STATUS REMOVED UNTIL THE APPROPRIATE PERSON REMOVES IT. I WAS NOT EDUCATED AT ALL ON FERRY PERMITS IN MY COMMERCIAL PLT CERTIFICATION AND THESE MAINT/FLT ISSUES MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO INCLUDE IN COMMERCIAL PLT CURRICULUM.

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.