Narrative:

My aircraft had an off-airport landing due to engine failure (no harm to persons; plane or property). Landing on dirt road. Aircraft had an expired 24 month maintenance transponder check. The aircraft was just svced by FBO and this would have been a required inspected item for FBO in a required annual maintenance check. FBO's service facility chose not to do the 24 month transponder check; since I was flying aircraft X to ZZZ for avionics upgrade that would include the recalibration of the transponder for another 24 months. FBO should have told me my aircraft's transponder system was out of its 24 month inspection. Then a required ferry permit from the FAA would allow this flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PILOT WITH AN ENG FAILURE LANDED OFF ARPT AND DISCOVERED AFTER THE EVENT THAT HIS TRANSPONDER DID NOT HAVE A REQUIRED 24 MONTH CHECK.

Narrative: MY ACFT HAD AN OFF-ARPT LNDG DUE TO ENG FAILURE (NO HARM TO PERSONS; PLANE OR PROPERTY). LNDG ON DIRT ROAD. ACFT HAD AN EXPIRED 24 MONTH MAINT XPONDER CHK. THE ACFT WAS JUST SVCED BY FBO AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A REQUIRED INSPECTED ITEM FOR FBO IN A REQUIRED ANNUAL MAINT CHK. FBO'S SVC FACILITY CHOSE NOT TO DO THE 24 MONTH XPONDER CHK; SINCE I WAS FLYING ACFT X TO ZZZ FOR AVIONICS UPGRADE THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE RECALIBRATION OF THE XPONDER FOR ANOTHER 24 MONTHS. FBO SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME MY ACFT'S XPONDER SYS WAS OUT OF ITS 24 MONTH INSPECTION. THEN A REQUIRED FERRY PERMIT FROM THE FAA WOULD ALLOW THIS FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.