Narrative:

Dispatch told me to fly an aircraft to hagerstown, md, to pick up another aircraft to repos it back to our principle airport of operations (dulles, va). When we arrived at hagerstown, aircraft swap took place and supervisor of maintenance gives the logbook for the aircraft to PIC and states that 'aircraft is airworthy, and here is a logbook insertion stating so.' letter is dated the same day as this occurrence and does state aircraft is 'released from and has had maintenance complied with.' we repos the aircraft and flight is uneventful except that, upon arrival at dulles, we are contacted by maintenance at dulles who states that the aircraft has not been released from maintenance and that it lacks an airworthiness release. This is in direct conflict with the letter we had in possession that stated 'released from maintenance.' my airline and maintenance facility are in arrears and have put blame on captain and myself. We acted on our best information and believe we are caught in the middle of a dispute between the airline and maintenance facility. Once again, flight was uneventful with no disruptions in service. Our operations manual is very unclr who has to release the aircraft. It just states it must be released from maintenance, which is what we feel we complied with. Supplemental information from acn 250203: there were 4-5 mechanics/supervisors who tugged the aircraft ('B') out of the hangar. We preflted checked all of the paperwork. One gentleman approached us to ask for the 'flight log kit' for the aircraft (this book has all information pertaining to the aircraft, i.e., flight log forms, VOR check, dmi, etc). We did not have it. He left to retrieve it returning with the logbook as well as a supplemental document labeled 'logbook insertion,' and said, 'you're good to go.' we asked 'is this all we need?' his reply, 'yes, this is all you need. We release the aircraft for maintenance, your company released the aircraft for service, have a nice day.' we ask, 'no signatures?' he replies, 'no, bye.' while en route, our mechanic shows up and asks where is aircraft 'B'? Their reply, 'they left.' we did not just takeoff, we got all the necessary paperwork, escorted out and saluted. We did not takeoff in a 'careless' manner. Their concern was the 'airworthiness release' was not signed. With the information given as well as the conversation with the mechanic about being released from maintenance with the supplemental paper stating that the aircraft is released from maintenance per company standards. We were part 91 and legal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT FERRY FLT ILLEGALLY FLOWN WITHOUT HAVING THE MAINT RELEASE SIGNED, AFFECTING LEGAL STATUS SO FAR AS AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS ARE CONCERNED.

Narrative: DISPATCH TOLD ME TO FLY AN ACFT TO HAGERSTOWN, MD, TO PICK UP ANOTHER ACFT TO REPOS IT BACK TO OUR PRINCIPLE ARPT OF OPS (DULLES, VA). WHEN WE ARRIVED AT HAGERSTOWN, ACFT SWAP TOOK PLACE AND SUPVR OF MAINT GIVES THE LOGBOOK FOR THE ACFT TO PIC AND STATES THAT 'ACFT IS AIRWORTHY, AND HERE IS A LOGBOOK INSERTION STATING SO.' LETTER IS DATED THE SAME DAY AS THIS OCCURRENCE AND DOES STATE ACFT IS 'RELEASED FROM AND HAS HAD MAINT COMPLIED WITH.' WE REPOS THE ACFT AND FLT IS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT THAT, UPON ARR AT DULLES, WE ARE CONTACTED BY MAINT AT DULLES WHO STATES THAT THE ACFT HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED FROM MAINT AND THAT IT LACKS AN AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE. THIS IS IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE LETTER WE HAD IN POSSESSION THAT STATED 'RELEASED FROM MAINT.' MY AIRLINE AND MAINT FACILITY ARE IN ARREARS AND HAVE PUT BLAME ON CAPT AND MYSELF. WE ACTED ON OUR BEST INFO AND BELIEVE WE ARE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A DISPUTE BTWN THE AIRLINE AND MAINT FACILITY. ONCE AGAIN, FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH NO DISRUPTIONS IN SVC. OUR OPS MANUAL IS VERY UNCLR WHO HAS TO RELEASE THE ACFT. IT JUST STATES IT MUST BE RELEASED FROM MAINT, WHICH IS WHAT WE FEEL WE COMPLIED WITH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 250203: THERE WERE 4-5 MECHS/SUPVRS WHO TUGGED THE ACFT ('B') OUT OF THE HANGAR. WE PREFLTED CHKED ALL OF THE PAPERWORK. ONE GENTLEMAN APCHED US TO ASK FOR THE 'FLT LOG KIT' FOR THE ACFT (THIS BOOK HAS ALL INFO PERTAINING TO THE ACFT, I.E., FLT LOG FORMS, VOR CHK, DMI, ETC). WE DID NOT HAVE IT. HE LEFT TO RETRIEVE IT RETURNING WITH THE LOGBOOK AS WELL AS A SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENT LABELED 'LOGBOOK INSERTION,' AND SAID, 'YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.' WE ASKED 'IS THIS ALL WE NEED?' HIS REPLY, 'YES, THIS IS ALL YOU NEED. WE RELEASE THE ACFT FOR MAINT, YOUR COMPANY RELEASED THE ACFT FOR SVC, HAVE A NICE DAY.' WE ASK, 'NO SIGNATURES?' HE REPLIES, 'NO, BYE.' WHILE ENRTE, OUR MECH SHOWS UP AND ASKS WHERE IS ACFT 'B'? THEIR REPLY, 'THEY LEFT.' WE DID NOT JUST TKOF, WE GOT ALL THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK, ESCORTED OUT AND SALUTED. WE DID NOT TKOF IN A 'CARELESS' MANNER. THEIR CONCERN WAS THE 'AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE' WAS NOT SIGNED. WITH THE INFO GIVEN AS WELL AS THE CONVERSATION WITH THE MECH ABOUT BEING RELEASED FROM MAINT WITH THE SUPPLEMENTAL PAPER STATING THAT THE ACFT IS RELEASED FROM MAINT PER COMPANY STANDARDS. WE WERE PART 91 AND LEGAL.

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.