A C208 WAS FLOWN WITH A MISSING TAIL TIEDOWN FIXTURE PULLED OFF BY A TOW TUG. ACFT MAY HAVE SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

Narrative

I WAS DISPATCHED ON A FLT ROUTED TO MULTIPLE ARPTS. AFTER LNDG AT ZZZ2; I WAS TURNING AROUND TO TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP. I DID NOT TURN SHARPLY ENOUGH AND SUNK MY L MAIN GEAR INTO THE MUD ON THE SHOULDER OF THE RWY. EVEN WITH THE HELP OF A HALF DOZEN GUYS; I COULD NOT GET THE PLANE UNSTUCK. I DECIDED TO USE THE RWY MAINT TRACTOR TO PULL IT OUT. BEFORE DOING SO; I WENT INTO TOWN AND CALLED MAINT TO GET SOME GUIDANCE AS TO HOW TO PROCEED. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE PLANE; I FOUND THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN HELPING ME HAD TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO GO AHEAD WITH USING THE TRACTOR TO PULL OUT THE ACFT. WHILE I WAS NOT PRESENT AND WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE; THEY HAD ATTACHED THE TRACTOR TO THE TAIL TIE-DOWN AND HAD PULLED IT OFF THE ACFT. WE THEN PROCEEDED IN THE MANNER IN WHICH I HAD BEEN ADVISED BY MAINT AND WERE ABLE TO PULL THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE CTR OF THE RWY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT; I MADE THE JUDGEMENT THAT IT WAS SAFE TO FLY. I REASONED THAT THE TAIL TIE-DOWN WAS NOT AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE AIRFRAME LOAD-BEARING STRUCTURE. I THEN FLEW THE AIRPLANE BACK TO ZZZ WITHOUT ANY FREIGHT OR PAX. WHEN I RETURNED; I WAS INFORMED BY ONE OF OUR MECHS THAT THE TAIL TIE-DOWN WAS; IN FACT; CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE LOAD-BEARING STRUCTURE OF THE AIRFRAME AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED MAINT BEFORE I FLEW IT. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF A 30-DAY ROTATION PERIOD. I BELIEVE THAT PLT FATIGUE CLOUDED MY JUDGEMENT. 2) AS A PLT WITHOUT AN A&P CERTIFICATE; I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED THAT I KNEW ENOUGH ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE ACFT TO MAKE SUCH A JUDGEMENT.