Narrative:

A precautionary landing was made at toledo express airport in swanton, oh, due to the aircraft tow bar attached to the nosewheel. Departure was from wood county airport in bowling green. The problem arose as a result of allowing myself to be distracted by other activities during preflight, thus leaving the tow bar attached to the nosewheel. Contributing factor was doing the preflight from memory rather than a written checklist. The problem was discovered when the landing gear failed to give a safe retraction indication after takeoff, although the cause was not immediately idented. The gear was cycled twice in an attempt to get full retraction. At this point the decision was made to land, but rather than land at wood county (1g0), the point of departure, the decision was made to fly by the tower at toledo express airport for a visual inspection of the landing gear. As a result of the fly-by it was determined that the tow bar was still attached to the nosewheel. I then made a low pass of runway 25 to deploy the gear in the hope that if the tow bar fell off it would land on the runway without harm to person or property. It did not fall off. I then landed on runway 25 using soft field landing procedures to minimize airspeed and keep the nose off the ground for the maximum length of time. After braking to a stop on the runway, I shut down the engine and removed the tow bar before taxiing to the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TOOK OFF WITH TOW BAR ATTACHED.

Narrative: A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS MADE AT TOLEDO EXPRESS ARPT IN SWANTON, OH, DUE TO THE ACFT TOW BAR ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL. DEP WAS FROM WOOD COUNTY ARPT IN BOWLING GREEN. THE PROB AROSE AS A RESULT OF ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED BY OTHER ACTIVITIES DURING PREFLT, THUS LEAVING THE TOW BAR ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS DOING THE PREFLT FROM MEMORY RATHER THAN A WRITTEN CHKLIST. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE LNDG GEAR FAILED TO GIVE A SAFE RETRACTION INDICATION AFTER TKOF, ALTHOUGH THE CAUSE WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY IDENTED. THE GEAR WAS CYCLED TWICE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET FULL RETRACTION. AT THIS POINT THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND, BUT RATHER THAN LAND AT WOOD COUNTY (1G0), THE POINT OF DEP, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY BY THE TWR AT TOLEDO EXPRESS ARPT FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE LNDG GEAR. AS A RESULT OF THE FLY-BY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TOW BAR WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL. I THEN MADE A LOW PASS OF RWY 25 TO DEPLOY THE GEAR IN THE HOPE THAT IF THE TOW BAR FELL OFF IT WOULD LAND ON THE RWY WITHOUT HARM TO PERSON OR PROPERTY. IT DID NOT FALL OFF. I THEN LANDED ON RWY 25 USING SOFT FIELD LNDG PROCS TO MINIMIZE AIRSPD AND KEEP THE NOSE OFF THE GND FOR THE MAX LENGTH OF TIME. AFTER BRAKING TO A STOP ON THE RWY, I SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND REMOVED THE TOW BAR BEFORE TAXIING TO THE RAMP.

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.