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An A300 returned to the field immediately after takeoff due to 40 KT error in first officer's airspeed indicator. Caused by mud daubers in pitot tube.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 546892 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200204 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mia.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 546892 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
During takeoff roll first officer called out 80 KTS thrust blue. Captain's airspeed indicated approximately 120 KTS. My standby airspeed indicator matched my airspeed indicator. I glanced over at first officer's indicator after takeoff and saw a 40 KT discrepancy. I instructed first officer to tell tower we were returning to land. Uneventful landing made on runway 9R using airspeed from captain's indicator. Maintenance informed me it was most likely mud daubers in pitot tube. Aircraft had been sitting around maintenance for unrelated work. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated maintenance was troubled for several days by these creatures, especially by airplanes parked for several hours or overnight layovers. The reporter said it was a surprise to discover the mud daubers could cause trouble on large airplanes and believed it was only limited to small airplane types.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A300 RETURNED TO THE FIELD IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF DUE TO 40 KT ERROR IN FO'S AIRSPD INDICATOR. CAUSED BY MUD DAUBERS IN PITOT TUBE.
Narrative: DURING TKOF ROLL FO CALLED OUT 80 KTS THRUST BLUE. CAPT'S AIRSPD INDICATED APPROX 120 KTS. MY STANDBY AIRSPD INDICATOR MATCHED MY AIRSPD INDICATOR. I GLANCED OVER AT FO'S INDICATOR AFTER TKOF AND SAW A 40 KT DISCREPANCY. I INSTRUCTED FO TO TELL TWR WE WERE RETURNING TO LAND. UNEVENTFUL LNDG MADE ON RWY 9R USING AIRSPD FROM CAPT'S INDICATOR. MAINT INFORMED ME IT WAS MOST LIKELY MUD DAUBERS IN PITOT TUBE. ACFT HAD BEEN SITTING AROUND MAINT FOR UNRELATED WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED MAINT WAS TROUBLED FOR SEVERAL DAYS BY THESE CREATURES, ESPECIALLY BY AIRPLANES PARKED FOR SEVERAL HRS OR OVERNIGHT LAYOVERS. THE RPTR SAID IT WAS A SURPRISE TO DISCOVER THE MUD DAUBERS COULD CAUSE TROUBLE ON LARGE AIRPLANES AND BELIEVED IT WAS ONLY LIMITED TO SMALL AIRPLANE TYPES.
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.