Narrative:

I flew a morning air tour in a single. When I returned, I prepared my aircraft to turn for the afternoon flight, but was reassigned to another aircraft (a C402) that had been stranded at ZZZ1 2 days prior. I was familiar with the discrepancy that prevented the return flight in this twin. It was a failure of the turbocharger on the #2 engine. The pilot that last flew it wrote it up as 'unable to achieve takeoff power in the #2 engine.' a company mechanic had inspected the aircraft at ZZZ1. It was his opinion that the waste gate on the turbocharger was sticking. He felt that it would be safe to fly the 70 mi back to ZZZ airport for repair. I was comfortable with that assessment. FSDO issued company a special flight permit to ferry the aircraft back. I had the document in my possession for the flight. I conducted a preflight inspection and flew the aircraft from ZZZ1 to ZZZ without incident. When I landed, I was greeted by an inspector from FSDO. He met me as I parked and inspected the paperwork from the flight. He informed me that I had conducted the ferry flight with an unresolved write-up since no qualified mechanic had made an entry in the maintenance log specifying that the aircraft could be safely operated by essential crew in accordance with the special flight permit. The special flight permit states clearly in its numbered provisions that it is not valid unless the aircraft has been declared safe for the conditions under which it is to be flown, and an entry made to that effect in the aircraft's maintenance log. I mistakenly assumed that the safe-for-flight declaration was implied in the special flight permit. I should have taken more time to investigate whether that was really the case.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C402 WAS DISPATCHED ON A MAINT FERRY WITHOUT THE REQUIRED LOG STATEMENT ENTERED BY THE TECHNICIAN. 'THE AIRPLANE IS SAFE TO FLY WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE FERRY PERMIT' AND NEEDS SIGNATURE OF TECHNICIAN.

Narrative: I FLEW A MORNING AIR TOUR IN A SINGLE. WHEN I RETURNED, I PREPARED MY ACFT TO TURN FOR THE AFTERNOON FLT, BUT WAS REASSIGNED TO ANOTHER ACFT (A C402) THAT HAD BEEN STRANDED AT ZZZ1 2 DAYS PRIOR. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE DISCREPANCY THAT PREVENTED THE RETURN FLT IN THIS TWIN. IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE TURBOCHARGER ON THE #2 ENG. THE PLT THAT LAST FLEW IT WROTE IT UP AS 'UNABLE TO ACHIEVE TKOF PWR IN THE #2 ENG.' A COMPANY MECH HAD INSPECTED THE ACFT AT ZZZ1. IT WAS HIS OPINION THAT THE WASTE GATE ON THE TURBOCHARGER WAS STICKING. HE FELT THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO FLY THE 70 MI BACK TO ZZZ ARPT FOR REPAIR. I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT. FSDO ISSUED COMPANY A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT TO FERRY THE ACFT BACK. I HAD THE DOCUMENT IN MY POSSESSION FOR THE FLT. I CONDUCTED A PREFLT INSPECTION AND FLEW THE ACFT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHEN I LANDED, I WAS GREETED BY AN INSPECTOR FROM FSDO. HE MET ME AS I PARKED AND INSPECTED THE PAPERWORK FROM THE FLT. HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD CONDUCTED THE FERRY FLT WITH AN UNRESOLVED WRITE-UP SINCE NO QUALIFIED MECH HAD MADE AN ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOG SPECIFYING THAT THE ACFT COULD BE SAFELY OPERATED BY ESSENTIAL CREW IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT. THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT STATES CLRLY IN ITS NUMBERED PROVISIONS THAT IT IS NOT VALID UNLESS THE ACFT HAS BEEN DECLARED SAFE FOR THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH IT IS TO BE FLOWN, AND AN ENTRY MADE TO THAT EFFECT IN THE ACFT'S MAINT LOG. I MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THAT THE SAFE-FOR-FLT DECLARATION WAS IMPLIED IN THE SPECIAL FLT PERMIT. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THAT WAS REALLY THE CASE.

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.