Narrative:

On 4/91 I was PIC of an small transport aircraft xx airlines, flight xx. I picked the aircraft up from maintenance for the flight. While at maintenance the aircraft was washed. I preflted the aircraft and checked with maintenance to be sure the aircraft was ready. The plane was fueled and then taxied to the gate for the flight. A ground runup was then performed. The passengers were boarded for the flight. Taxied out. A runup was again performed. The aircraft departed runway 13R at austin. During the takeoff all indications were good. During the climb out the airspeed was noted to be reading abnormally fast in error. The altimeter was also found to be in error and the determination was made that the static system was clogged. The tower was notified and the aircraft was returned for a landing. The airport was VFR at the time. After returning to the gate, maintenance was notified of the problem and were requested to meet the aircraft. The problem was idented as tape covering the static ports and was removed. The tape was installed to keep water out of the static system during the washing but was not removed as instructed afterwards. During the preflight this should have been detected but was not. I believe a mere thorough preflight would have picked this up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER WASH ACFT PITOT TUBES WERE NOT CLEARED. AIRSPEED AND ALT ERRONEOUS IN FLT. PLT RETURNED FOR LNDG.

Narrative: ON 4/91 I WAS PIC OF AN SMT ACFT XX AIRLINES, FLT XX. I PICKED THE ACFT UP FROM MAINT FOR THE FLT. WHILE AT MAINT THE ACFT WAS WASHED. I PREFLTED THE ACFT AND CHKED WITH MAINT TO BE SURE THE ACFT WAS READY. THE PLANE WAS FUELED AND THEN TAXIED TO THE GATE FOR THE FLT. A GND RUNUP WAS THEN PERFORMED. THE PAXS WERE BOARDED FOR THE FLT. TAXIED OUT. A RUNUP WAS AGAIN PERFORMED. THE ACFT DEPARTED RWY 13R AT AUSTIN. DURING THE TKOF ALL INDICATIONS WERE GOOD. DURING THE CLBOUT THE AIRSPD WAS NOTED TO BE READING ABNORMALLY FAST IN ERROR. THE ALTIMETER WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE IN ERROR AND THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT THE STATIC SYSTEM WAS CLOGGED. THE TWR WAS NOTIFIED AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED FOR A LNDG. THE ARPT WAS VFR AT THE TIME. AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE, MAINT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROB AND WERE REQUESTED TO MEET THE ACFT. THE PROB WAS IDENTED AS TAPE COVERING THE STATIC PORTS AND WAS REMOVED. THE TAPE WAS INSTALLED TO KEEP WATER OUT OF THE STATIC SYS DURING THE WASHING BUT WAS NOT REMOVED AS INSTRUCTED AFTERWARDS. DURING THE PREFLT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DETECTED BUT WAS NOT. I BELIEVE A MERE THOROUGH PREFLT WOULD HAVE PICKED THIS UP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.