Narrative:

I had filed an IFR flight plan from day to mie, as there were a few low scattered clouds in the area. After receiving clearance, I taxied to the runway, performed my run-up check, and called the tower for clearance. The tower cleared me for takeoff, which I acknowledged. The tower then told me they got a call from the FBO, that my pitot cover was still in place. I had not yet moved onto the runway, so I asked to taxi back to the FBO. The line man removed it for me and the flight then proceeded normally. Chain of events: my normal preflight was disrupted by my being distraction by the fuel truck which was parked in front of the plane, and my conversation with the line man. I had previously asked for a quart of oil to be put in the left engine and was checking with him that this was done. I also was replacing data cards in the GPS radios, which I had just updated. Having the plane fueled and oiled, my attention focused elsewhere. Human performance: I had worked the night before, as the 'on call' physician, the job requiring film readings at home via teleradiology. My sleep was interrupted 3 times, which is a light workload for that job. I did get 3 hours uninterrupted sleep, waking at XA00 spontaneously. I feel that in spite of the fact that I felt rested, my performance was degraded by mental fatigue, which I was unable to adequately assess on my own. Corrective actions: 1) no flying unless I have 8 hours uninterrupted sleep. 2) adhere to checklist procedures, especially in non routine or distracting sits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 PVT PLT ADMITS TO FAILING TO REMOVE A PITOT HEAD COVER DURING HIS PREFLT AT DAY, OH.

Narrative: I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM DAY TO MIE, AS THERE WERE A FEW LOW SCATTERED CLOUDS IN THE AREA. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC, I TAXIED TO THE RWY, PERFORMED MY RUN-UP CHK, AND CALLED THE TWR FOR CLRNC. THE TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF, WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. THE TWR THEN TOLD ME THEY GOT A CALL FROM THE FBO, THAT MY PITOT COVER WAS STILL IN PLACE. I HAD NOT YET MOVED ONTO THE RWY, SO I ASKED TO TAXI BACK TO THE FBO. THE LINE MAN REMOVED IT FOR ME AND THE FLT THEN PROCEEDED NORMALLY. CHAIN OF EVENTS: MY NORMAL PREFLT WAS DISRUPTED BY MY BEING DISTR BY THE FUEL TRUCK WHICH WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE PLANE, AND MY CONVERSATION WITH THE LINE MAN. I HAD PREVIOUSLY ASKED FOR A QUART OF OIL TO BE PUT IN THE L ENG AND WAS CHKING WITH HIM THAT THIS WAS DONE. I ALSO WAS REPLACING DATA CARDS IN THE GPS RADIOS, WHICH I HAD JUST UPDATED. HAVING THE PLANE FUELED AND OILED, MY ATTN FOCUSED ELSEWHERE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE: I HAD WORKED THE NIGHT BEFORE, AS THE 'ON CALL' PHYSICIAN, THE JOB REQUIRING FILM READINGS AT HOME VIA TELERADIOLOGY. MY SLEEP WAS INTERRUPTED 3 TIMES, WHICH IS A LIGHT WORKLOAD FOR THAT JOB. I DID GET 3 HRS UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP, WAKING AT XA00 SPONTANEOUSLY. I FEEL THAT IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT I FELT RESTED, MY PERFORMANCE WAS DEGRADED BY MENTAL FATIGUE, WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO ADEQUATELY ASSESS ON MY OWN. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) NO FLYING UNLESS I HAVE 8 HRS UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP. 2) ADHERE TO CHKLIST PROCS, ESPECIALLY IN NON ROUTINE OR DISTRACTING SITS.

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.