<< >> NASA ASRS Report 405073, June 1998

Pilot of small aircraft does not remove external elevator locks during preflight. On landing propeller strike occurred.

Attributes
ACN	405073
Time
Date	199806
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 3b3
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 315
ASRS Report	405073
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Contacted ground with propeller during landing, curled propeller tips, no sudden stoppage. Pilot failed to notice external elevator locks in place during preflight inspection due to lack of conspicuity of faded locks with no streamers attached. Pilot had released locks at control stick. Lack of elevator control noted during takeoff roll, but unable to stop due to runway length. Flew traffic pattern using throttle/ailerons/rudder. Aircraft 'porpoised' on landing, causing propeller tips to contact ground. No other damage noted. Repainting all control locks with fluorescent paint and attaching new 'remove before flight' streamers. Also replacing missing checklist and pilot handbook. Pilot preflight inspection process undergoing upgrade as well.

Related reports:

• Small aircraft pilot does poor preflight in hurry to comply ...
• A bell 206 was found to have damage at the landing gear atta...
• Forced landing created by fuel starvation. Instructor pilot ...
• An AA5 pilot failed to preflight fuel qty fully and ran one ...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DOES NOT REMOVE EXTERNAL ELEVATOR LOCKS DURING PREFLT. ON LNDG PROP STRIKE OCCURRED.

Narrative: CONTACTED GND WITH PROP DURING LNDG, CURLED PROP TIPS, NO SUDDEN STOPPAGE. PLT FAILED TO NOTICE EXTERNAL ELEVATOR LOCKS IN PLACE DURING PREFLT INSPECTION DUE TO LACK OF CONSPICUITY OF FADED LOCKS WITH NO STREAMERS ATTACHED. PLT HAD RELEASED LOCKS AT CTL STICK. LACK OF ELEVATOR CTL NOTED DURING TKOF ROLL, BUT UNABLE TO STOP DUE TO RWY LENGTH. FLEW TFC PATTERN USING THROTTLE/AILERONS/RUDDER. ACFT 'PORPOISED' ON LNDG, CAUSING PROP TIPS TO CONTACT GND. NO OTHER DAMAGE NOTED. REPAINTING ALL CTL LOCKS WITH FLUORESCENT PAINT AND ATTACHING NEW 'REMOVE BEFORE FLT' STREAMERS. ALSO REPLACING MISSING CHKLIST AND PLT HANDBOOK. PLT PREFLT INSPECTION PROCESS UNDERGOING UPGRADE AS WELL.

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.