Light transport operated without required aircraft flight manual (afm).

Attributes
ACN	271847
Time
Date	199405
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	271847
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was scheduled to fly a saab 340B from ord to rdu. This was a part 91 flight without passenger to relocate the aircraft. Upon arrival in ord I discovered that the aircraft flight manual (afm) was not onboard and could not be found. I refused to depart until it was located. I attempted to reach the chief pilot, but was unable. After about 2 hours the dispatch supervisor and a maintenance control officer called and said they checked with headquarters in dfw and were told the afm did not have to be onboard as long as aom volume 3 (a company manual) was on board. I still had doubts, but reluctantly agreed to do the flight. Upon arriving home after the flight, another dispatcher called and asked where the afm was and why did I fly the plane without it. I don't know if I violated FARS, but in the future I will stand firm until I am sure everything is right.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT OPERATED WITHOUT REQUIRED ACFT FLT MANUAL (AFM).

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY A SAAB 340B FROM ORD TO RDU. THIS WAS A PART 91 FLT WITHOUT PAX TO RELOCATE THE ACFT. UPON ARR IN ORD I DISCOVERED THAT THE ACFT FLT MANUAL (AFM) WAS NOT ONBOARD AND COULD NOT BE FOUND. I REFUSED TO DEPART UNTIL IT WAS LOCATED. I ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE CHIEF PLT, BUT WAS UNABLE. AFTER ABOUT 2 HRS THE DISPATCH SUPVR AND A MAINT CTL OFFICER CALLED AND SAID THEY CHKED WITH HEADQUARTERS IN DFW AND WERE TOLD THE AFM DID NOT HAVE TO BE ONBOARD AS LONG AS AOM VOLUME 3 (A COMPANY MANUAL) WAS ON BOARD. I STILL HAD DOUBTS, BUT RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO DO THE FLT. UPON ARRIVING HOME AFTER THE FLT, ANOTHER DISPATCHER CALLED AND ASKED WHERE THE AFM WAS AND WHY DID I FLY THE PLANE WITHOUT IT. I DON'T KNOW IF I VIOLATED FARS, BUT IN THE FUTURE I WILL STAND FIRM UNTIL I AM SURE EVERYTHING IS RIGHT.

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.