Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; Company Policy; Logbook Entry; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Arrived at the aircraft and completed preflight items for a maintenance ferry flight from ZZZ to ZZZ1 for the purpose of parking Aircraft X in ZZZ1 for stowage due to COVID-19 economic downturn. During pre-flight I determined that there was not a current maintenance release form in the aircraft Logbook. I called maintenance on the radio and requested a new maintenance release. Maintenance said we did not need a maintenance release form because we were flying a maintenance ferry flight and we only needed a maintenance ferry document; which should be in the aircraft logbook. There was no maintenance ferry document in the aircraft logbook or in the flight plan paperwork.I called Dispatch and requested a new maintenance release and was told all I needed was the maintenance ferry document. I told Dispatch that I did not have one anywhere on the aircraft and I needed him to send me one. The Dispatcher told me that he couldn't 'cut & paste' the maintenance ferry document into ACARS; but that he could take a picture and send it to me on my phone. He sent me a picture of the maintenance ferry document and I looked it over. I had never seen a maintenance ferry document and therefore had no idea if the Dispatcher had sent me the proper documentation. Per the flight plan; we were dispatched Part 91; and having been told by both the Maintenance and Dispatch that we had what we needed; we proceeded to operate the flight safely and on-time between ZZZ and ZZZ1. It was only an hour after our arrival into ZZZ1 that we were contacted by the flight operations and were told that we had departed without the proper maintenance release form. I sent a picture of the maintenance ferry document from Dispatch and a copy of the flight plan and told her I would file a report. We were not the only flight to be dispatched improperly by Maintenance and Dispatch.Later that evening we received a report; detailing what a correct maintenance ferry document should be. We performed due diligence in our attempt to obtain the proper maintenance release form. Maintenance and Dispatch let us down and company; by not having the correct and proper documentation available either in the cockpit or available on the ACARS printer.
Air carrier Captain reported having to ferry a flight for storage due the COVID-19 pandemic without correct maintenance release documentation.