Narrative:

The crew and a spouse arrived at ZZZ airport at about XA10 local. We were to fly the ceo (a commercial multi-engine pilot who owns a C340) and his wife home. The airport was notamed closed at XD30 local due to a special event. We had departed ZZZ1 two days before with 1 pilot's wife and the company ceo and his wife. We had been pre-briefed that the ceo's wife had a number of items to bring. When the ceo and his wife arrive with 2 cars full of boxes and other items; including 300 pounds of cargo; these items were all loaded with their luggage and the crew's luggage into wing lockers and the luggage area of the aircraft. Several briefcases were loaded between 2 seats and a group of items were belted into one of the seats. The aircraft was full; full of fuel; and at gross weight. The crew preflted the aircraft doing a full preflight. No discrepancies were noted. The ceo and his wife arrived at XB10 and in addition to the items already on the aircraft; they had an item approximately 45 inches by 60 inches. The only place we could put the item was in the aisle at the rear of the airplane. The item partially blocked the aisle at the rear exit. At approximately XB30; after starting the engines to leave; we noticed the copilot's ADI had tumbled and would not erect. Playing with the bleed air caused it to move but it never erected. The copilot checked the MEL and determined that the ADI was not listed and therefore not MEL'able. I also check and agreed. I informed the ceo that the ADI was not on the MEL list and we could not legally go. He said; 'we are going!' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had long discussion with the owner after the flight in question. They agreed that there would be no requests in the future to fly in violation of far's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: KING AIR CREW ALLEGES THEY ARE INSTRUCTED TO FLY A NON-AIRWORTHY ACFT.

Narrative: THE CREW AND A SPOUSE ARRIVED AT ZZZ ARPT AT ABOUT XA10 LCL. WE WERE TO FLY THE CEO (A COMMERCIAL MULTI-ENG PLT WHO OWNS A C340) AND HIS WIFE HOME. THE ARPT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED AT XD30 LCL DUE TO A SPECIAL EVENT. WE HAD DEPARTED ZZZ1 TWO DAYS BEFORE WITH 1 PLT'S WIFE AND THE COMPANY CEO AND HIS WIFE. WE HAD BEEN PRE-BRIEFED THAT THE CEO'S WIFE HAD A NUMBER OF ITEMS TO BRING. WHEN THE CEO AND HIS WIFE ARRIVE WITH 2 CARS FULL OF BOXES AND OTHER ITEMS; INCLUDING 300 LBS OF CARGO; THESE ITEMS WERE ALL LOADED WITH THEIR LUGGAGE AND THE CREW'S LUGGAGE INTO WING LOCKERS AND THE LUGGAGE AREA OF THE ACFT. SEVERAL BRIEFCASES WERE LOADED BTWN 2 SEATS AND A GROUP OF ITEMS WERE BELTED INTO ONE OF THE SEATS. THE ACFT WAS FULL; FULL OF FUEL; AND AT GROSS WT. THE CREW PREFLTED THE ACFT DOING A FULL PREFLT. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. THE CEO AND HIS WIFE ARRIVED AT XB10 AND IN ADDITION TO THE ITEMS ALREADY ON THE ACFT; THEY HAD AN ITEM APPROX 45 INCHES BY 60 INCHES. THE ONLY PLACE WE COULD PUT THE ITEM WAS IN THE AISLE AT THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE. THE ITEM PARTIALLY BLOCKED THE AISLE AT THE REAR EXIT. AT APPROX XB30; AFTER STARTING THE ENGS TO LEAVE; WE NOTICED THE COPLT'S ADI HAD TUMBLED AND WOULD NOT ERECT. PLAYING WITH THE BLEED AIR CAUSED IT TO MOVE BUT IT NEVER ERECTED. THE COPLT CHKED THE MEL AND DETERMINED THAT THE ADI WAS NOT LISTED AND THEREFORE NOT MEL'ABLE. I ALSO CHK AND AGREED. I INFORMED THE CEO THAT THE ADI WAS NOT ON THE MEL LIST AND WE COULD NOT LEGALLY GO. HE SAID; 'WE ARE GOING!' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD LONG DISCUSSION WITH THE OWNER AFTER THE FLT IN QUESTION. THEY AGREED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO REQUESTS IN THE FUTURE TO FLY IN VIOLATION OF FAR'S.

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.