C208B AIR TAXI ACFT DEPARTS WITH TAILSTAND STILL ATTACHED. PLT RECEIVES A RPT INFLT AND WITH NO SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND PRIOR TO DEST CONTINUES THE FLT.

Narrative

THE NON STANDARD FLT DEPARTED OTZ FOR WTK WITH A COMPANY A&P MECH AND 1 PAX ABOARD. THE FLT WAS ESTABLISHED IN CRUISE AT AN ALT OF 2500 FT MSL AT A DISTANCE FROM THE DEST ARPT OF 20 MI WHEN THE COMPANY CALLED ON THE RADIO (MARINE VHF CHANNEL) THAT THE TAILSTAND WAS POSSIBLY STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. THE FLT WAS MORE THAN HALFWAY TO THE DEST ARPT; SO I CONTINUED THE FLT. THERE WAS NO INFLT INDICATION NOTED AS TO IF THE TAILSTAND WAS ACTUALLY IN PLACE. ALL ACFT SYS AND CTL AUTH WERE NORMAL. THE ACFT WAS LANDED IN WTK IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE SO TO AVOID DRAGGING THE TAILSTAND ON THE RWY SURFACE. I TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE RAMP AREA; COMPLETED THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST; DEPLANED THE 1 PAX (NOTING THAT THE TAILSTAND WAS IN FACT IN PLACE). THEN THE AFOREMENTIONED MECH AND MYSELF REMOVED THE TAILSTAND AND INSPECTED THAT SECTION OF THE ACFT FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE. NO DAMAGE OF ANY TYPE WAS PRESENT. AFTER A THOROUGH INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED BY THE MECH THE FLT THEN DEPARTED WTK TO RETURN TO OTZ; WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS EVENT WAS THE ESTABLISHED PROC FOR GND HANDLING THE C208B AT THE OTZ STATION. IT WAS SOP FOR THE LINE TECHNICIAN TO LOAD PAX WHILE THE PIC TOOK HIS POS IN THE COCKPIT TO READY THE ACFT FOR START. THE TAILSTAND WOULD BE LEFT IN PLACE WHILE PAX WERE BOARDING THE ACFT. AFTER ALL PAX HAD TAKEN THEIR SEATS THE LINE TECHNICIAN WOULD SECURE THE CABIN DOOR; WALK TO THE TAIL AND REMOVE THE TAILSTAND. THE LINE TECHNICIAN WOULD THEN PROCEED TO THE CAPT'S SIDE OF THE ACFT AND THEN ENG START WOULD BEGIN. THESE SAME EVENTS TRANSPIRED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED FLT. THESE PROCS LIES THE PROB. THERE WAS NEVER ANY AFFIRMATION PROC ESTABLISHED BTWN THE LINE TECHNICIAN AND THE CAPT AS TO THE STATUS OF THE TAILSTAND (WHETHER ATTACHED OR DETACHED). THE CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TO REMOVE THE DELEGATED AUTH OF TAILSTAND REMOVAL FROM THE LINE TECHNICIAN AND PLACE IT SOLELY IN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PIC. AFTER ALL PAX HAVE BEEN LOADED THE PIC WILL SEAL THE CABIN AND REMOVE THE TAILSTAND PRIOR TO TAXI. NOTE -- ALONG THE RTE BTWN OTZ AND WTK THERE ARE NO SUITABLE ARPTS FOR LNDG.