Narrative:

Earlier this yr; a club C172 was damaged in a landing incident by a fellow club member. As the story was related to me; the propeller tips were damaged; but the pilot was able to taxi the aircraft back to the ramp following the incident and shut down with no further difficulty. The club ia removed the engine and propeller and discovered some skin damage on the lower firewall and belly. The ia performed a sudden stoppage inspection on the engine and sent the propeller to a propeller repair station and subsequently reinstalled them. The club then contracted a repair facility to perform the minor sheet metal repairs. I was approached to volunteer to fly the aircraft under special flight permit. I received a thorough briefing from the club and the club manager on the maintenance aspects of the aircraft. The club also briefed me on and gave me a signed (by the club) FAA form 8130-6 for a special flight permit; which had already been faxed to the local FSDO. The planned operation would be a simple 18 NM flight; with the WX conditions at the time allowing a nearly straight-out departure to a straight-in arrival. Both were twred airports with more than ample runways; and nothing but flat; open and unpopulated terrain. I was highly familiar with both of the airfields; the route; and the aircraft (prior to the previous landing incident). Having never operated on a special flight permit before; to prepare myself as thoroughly as possible; I checked the FARS for any applicable information pertaining to the flight. I could not find any notations regarding any special preparations or requirements in either part 43 or part 91; which I believed to be the applicable FARS that would pertain to this operation. With the aeronautical club manager's approval; and with the ia's signature on the form 8130-6; which I believed served as the over-arcing maintenance release for the aircraft for the proposed flight; I was convinced that the flight could be made safely. I filed; checked everything again with vigilance; and rechked everything again during the taxi out and run-up. I completed the flight with absolutely zero issues. Upon returning to the club about 1 hour later; I was met by both the club ia and the club manager who told me that the ia had improperly released the aircraft for flight. He had only filled out and faxed the 'application' for a special flight permit; which still needed to be approved and signed by the local FSDO. The only way to prevent others from falling into the same trap is better pilot education on the whole process; or at the very least; putting a reference in the far that a pilot will reasonably be able to find if the situation were to ever arise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT FERRIED ACFT TO A MAINT FACILITY WITH A SPECIAL FLT RELEASE APPLICATION THAT HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF BY THE LCL FSDO.

Narrative: EARLIER THIS YR; A CLUB C172 WAS DAMAGED IN A LNDG INCIDENT BY A FELLOW CLUB MEMBER. AS THE STORY WAS RELATED TO ME; THE PROP TIPS WERE DAMAGED; BUT THE PLT WAS ABLE TO TAXI THE ACFT BACK TO THE RAMP FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT AND SHUT DOWN WITH NO FURTHER DIFFICULTY. THE CLUB IA REMOVED THE ENG AND PROP AND DISCOVERED SOME SKIN DAMAGE ON THE LOWER FIREWALL AND BELLY. THE IA PERFORMED A SUDDEN STOPPAGE INSPECTION ON THE ENG AND SENT THE PROP TO A PROP REPAIR STATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY REINSTALLED THEM. THE CLUB THEN CONTRACTED A REPAIR FACILITY TO PERFORM THE MINOR SHEET METAL REPAIRS. I WAS APCHED TO VOLUNTEER TO FLY THE ACFT UNDER SPECIAL FLT PERMIT. I RECEIVED A THOROUGH BRIEFING FROM THE CLUB AND THE CLUB MGR ON THE MAINT ASPECTS OF THE ACFT. THE CLUB ALSO BRIEFED ME ON AND GAVE ME A SIGNED (BY THE CLUB) FAA FORM 8130-6 FOR A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT; WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN FAXED TO THE LCL FSDO. THE PLANNED OP WOULD BE A SIMPLE 18 NM FLT; WITH THE WX CONDITIONS AT THE TIME ALLOWING A NEARLY STRAIGHT-OUT DEP TO A STRAIGHT-IN ARR. BOTH WERE TWRED ARPTS WITH MORE THAN AMPLE RWYS; AND NOTHING BUT FLAT; OPEN AND UNPOPULATED TERRAIN. I WAS HIGHLY FAMILIAR WITH BOTH OF THE AIRFIELDS; THE RTE; AND THE ACFT (PRIOR TO THE PREVIOUS LNDG INCIDENT). HAVING NEVER OPERATED ON A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT BEFORE; TO PREPARE MYSELF AS THOROUGHLY AS POSSIBLE; I CHKED THE FARS FOR ANY APPLICABLE INFO PERTAINING TO THE FLT. I COULD NOT FIND ANY NOTATIONS REGARDING ANY SPECIAL PREPARATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS IN EITHER PART 43 OR PART 91; WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE THE APPLICABLE FARS THAT WOULD PERTAIN TO THIS OP. WITH THE AERO CLUB MGR'S APPROVAL; AND WITH THE IA'S SIGNATURE ON THE FORM 8130-6; WHICH I BELIEVED SERVED AS THE OVER-ARCING MAINT RELEASE FOR THE ACFT FOR THE PROPOSED FLT; I WAS CONVINCED THAT THE FLT COULD BE MADE SAFELY. I FILED; CHKED EVERYTHING AGAIN WITH VIGILANCE; AND RECHKED EVERYTHING AGAIN DURING THE TAXI OUT AND RUN-UP. I COMPLETED THE FLT WITH ABSOLUTELY ZERO ISSUES. UPON RETURNING TO THE CLUB ABOUT 1 HR LATER; I WAS MET BY BOTH THE CLUB IA AND THE CLUB MGR WHO TOLD ME THAT THE IA HAD IMPROPERLY RELEASED THE ACFT FOR FLT. HE HAD ONLY FILLED OUT AND FAXED THE 'APPLICATION' FOR A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT; WHICH STILL NEEDED TO BE APPROVED AND SIGNED BY THE LCL FSDO. THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM FALLING INTO THE SAME TRAP IS BETTER PLT EDUCATION ON THE WHOLE PROCESS; OR AT THE VERY LEAST; PUTTING A REF IN THE FAR THAT A PLT WILL REASONABLY BE ABLE TO FIND IF THE SIT WERE TO EVER ARISE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.