Cessna 425/441 Conquest I/Conquest II
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 31; Flight Crew Total 4095; Flight Crew Type 3100
Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors
Departed ZZZ to ZZZ1. During flight; intermittent L. Hyd Flow Low and R. Hyd Flow Low yellow light came on. Later in the flight; lights were steady. Upon approach; per the checklist; blew the gear down. I notified ZZZ1 Tower that it might be a slightly lower approach than normal since; 'I will need to blow the gear down and will not have flaps.' I notified them that the speed would not be much slower than normal. Soft landing. Parked aircraft at [FBO A].Holiday weekend. Went to [FBO B] of the Maintenance group on the field. Visited face-to-face with [the] Head of Maintenance. He said they did not have the manpower to get to it for a week and that all the other maintenance companies near or on the field were sending business to them; because it was even worse for them. Main Maintenance for [the] aircraft is [FBO C] in ZZZ2. Just came out of extensive maintenance in June. Informed the Maintenance team that I would be bringing the aircraft to them Monday in a maintenance flight. Monday was a holiday. ZZZ2 said they could get to it on [early to midweek] if I brought the aircraft to them Monday afternoon or evening. Determined that the flight would be safe from Maintenance. Just leave the gear down and fly at or below 180 IAS. I flew at 170 IAS just to be safe. I flew from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. On the ground I informed ZZZ1 that I was flying a ferry maintenance flight from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. I informed them that the plane would appear to fly like a 421 since the gear will remain down. I filed an IFR plan and picked it up with ZZZ3 Center after getting out of the ZZZ4 area. I informed ZZZ3 Center of the ferry flight and did the same with ZZZ5 and ZZZ2 Tower. Soft landing in ZZZ2. No issues. [FBO C] fixed the plane.I always fly with an utmost concern for safety. Satisfied myself that the aircraft was safe. VFR conditions. Understood fuel burn. Understood airspeed. Flew according to specifications. Informed by the FAA on [later that week] that it may be a 91.405 violation - flying with gear not operable without a ferry permit. I didn't think to get the ferry permit - since mechanics said it was safe to fly and since it was a holiday weekend and since maintenance would be available if I got the aircraft to the maintenance facility on Monday; Labor Day. VFR and a million conditions. I believe I mitigated the lack of ferry permit; by doing what I thought was acceptable - which conveyed to the Tower and Center that it was a maintenance flight each step of the way - and since I complied with the Maintenance team and the operating manual for such a flight.
C441 pilot reported potentially violating FAR 91.405 for flying a gear inoperable flight without a required Ferry Permit.