Narrative:

On the morning of jun/xx/97, my partner and I were called to a job on a B727 aircraft for an airspeed flag in view on takeoff. The aircraft had turned back and went to one of the gates for maintenance. When we arrived there were no flags in view. My partner went down to the east&east compartment to do a bite check of the air data computer. The check tested normally and still there was no airspeed flag in view afterwards. My partner wanted to attempt to simulate the airspeed above the point where the crew said it had flagged at, so he hooked up the pitot static tester and did a leak/system test. When all checked good we just waited for the part to arrive. When the part did arrive, my partner removed it from the container and took it up to install it. I waited for him to finish the installation and asked if he was ready for me to go down and do another bite check and 'pump up the system.' after the air data computer bite was good I did another system check using the test set to make sure the flag didn't reappear. When the test was complete and everything checked good, I went back down and closed up the east&east compartment. I then began disconnecting the test equipment hoses connected to the left side of the aircraft and removed the tape that was holding the static port test hose and the tape over the port on the captain's pitot tube. I rolled the hoses up and put them in the case. At that point one of the load crew came up and asked how long it was going to be and what the problem was, and who he could contact for the delay. I told him and then took the pitot tester and hoses to the truck. Then I went upstairs to finish the job. My partner was almost done signing off the logbook. We then called our shop to call the aircraft up and headed back. After getting back to the shop, my partner asked if I got all the tape off. And then it dawned on me that I had forgot to remove the tape from the captain's static port on the right side of the aircraft. We notified the leads and they called the tower, but it was too late, the aircraft was on takeoff roll. We notified the receiving station about the tape by answering machine, then by phone to one of the mechanics when he arrived. The whole situation was rushed, it was raining, and there were many distrs from other personnel on the ground as well as the aircrew. To prevent this from recurring in future I plan to make sure that I have 3 pieces of tape: 1 for the pitot tube static port, 1 for the hose of the tester at the static port, and 1 that blocks and opposite pitot port, each and every time I leave a job that requires the pitot/static tester.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH TAPE COVERING THE #1 STATIC PORT. TAPE NOT REMOVED AFTER LEAKAGE TEST.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JUN/XX/97, MY PARTNER AND I WERE CALLED TO A JOB ON A B727 ACFT FOR AN AIRSPD FLAG IN VIEW ON TKOF. THE ACFT HAD TURNED BACK AND WENT TO ONE OF THE GATES FOR MAINT. WHEN WE ARRIVED THERE WERE NO FLAGS IN VIEW. MY PARTNER WENT DOWN TO THE E&E COMPARTMENT TO DO A BITE CHK OF THE AIR DATA COMPUTER. THE CHK TESTED NORMALLY AND STILL THERE WAS NO AIRSPD FLAG IN VIEW AFTERWARDS. MY PARTNER WANTED TO ATTEMPT TO SIMULATE THE AIRSPD ABOVE THE POINT WHERE THE CREW SAID IT HAD FLAGGED AT, SO HE HOOKED UP THE PITOT STATIC TESTER AND DID A LEAK/SYS TEST. WHEN ALL CHKED GOOD WE JUST WAITED FOR THE PART TO ARRIVE. WHEN THE PART DID ARRIVE, MY PARTNER REMOVED IT FROM THE CONTAINER AND TOOK IT UP TO INSTALL IT. I WAITED FOR HIM TO FINISH THE INSTALLATION AND ASKED IF HE WAS READY FOR ME TO GO DOWN AND DO ANOTHER BITE CHK AND 'PUMP UP THE SYS.' AFTER THE ADC BITE WAS GOOD I DID ANOTHER SYS CHK USING THE TEST SET TO MAKE SURE THE FLAG DIDN'T REAPPEAR. WHEN THE TEST WAS COMPLETE AND EVERYTHING CHKED GOOD, I WENT BACK DOWN AND CLOSED UP THE E&E COMPARTMENT. I THEN BEGAN DISCONNECTING THE TEST EQUIP HOSES CONNECTED TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND REMOVED THE TAPE THAT WAS HOLDING THE STATIC PORT TEST HOSE AND THE TAPE OVER THE PORT ON THE CAPT'S PITOT TUBE. I ROLLED THE HOSES UP AND PUT THEM IN THE CASE. AT THAT POINT ONE OF THE LOAD CREW CAME UP AND ASKED HOW LONG IT WAS GOING TO BE AND WHAT THE PROB WAS, AND WHO HE COULD CONTACT FOR THE DELAY. I TOLD HIM AND THEN TOOK THE PITOT TESTER AND HOSES TO THE TRUCK. THEN I WENT UPSTAIRS TO FINISH THE JOB. MY PARTNER WAS ALMOST DONE SIGNING OFF THE LOGBOOK. WE THEN CALLED OUR SHOP TO CALL THE ACFT UP AND HEADED BACK. AFTER GETTING BACK TO THE SHOP, MY PARTNER ASKED IF I GOT ALL THE TAPE OFF. AND THEN IT DAWNED ON ME THAT I HAD FORGOT TO REMOVE THE TAPE FROM THE CAPT'S STATIC PORT ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. WE NOTIFIED THE LEADS AND THEY CALLED THE TWR, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE, THE ACFT WAS ON TKOF ROLL. WE NOTIFIED THE RECEIVING STATION ABOUT THE TAPE BY ANSWERING MACHINE, THEN BY PHONE TO ONE OF THE MECHS WHEN HE ARRIVED. THE WHOLE SIT WAS RUSHED, IT WAS RAINING, AND THERE WERE MANY DISTRS FROM OTHER PERSONNEL ON THE GND AS WELL AS THE AIRCREW. TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING IN FUTURE I PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE 3 PIECES OF TAPE: 1 FOR THE PITOT TUBE STATIC PORT, 1 FOR THE HOSE OF THE TESTER AT THE STATIC PORT, AND 1 THAT BLOCKS AND OPPOSITE PITOT PORT, EACH AND EVERY TIME I LEAVE A JOB THAT REQUIRES THE PITOT/STATIC TESTER.

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.