Narrative:

The previous night, my boss informed me that two of our aircraft needed to be taxied to the other end of the airport for maintenance purposes, by XA00. My alarm clock was improperly set, and I was awoken by a phone call at approximately XB30. I immediately rushed to work to taxi the aircraft. It had snowed the night before, which made pulling the C152 out of the hangar, using a towbar, difficult. A gentleman, who was working on another plane in the hangar, offered his assistance. I set the towbar down and moved to the strut to push the aircraft. Once it was out of the hangar, I immediately went to close the hangar door because that gentleman had commented that he was losing all of his heat. I then made arrangements with the secretary to come pick me up in 10 mins. I returned to the aircraft, started it, obtained my taxi clearance, and proceeded on my way. A min later, I heard a strange sound, which sounded like something hit the fuselage. Confused, I slowed to a stop, then realized that I had never removed the towbar. I shut the engine down, and removed the towbar, hoping no one had seen this. When I got back in the plane, ground control notified me that someone called them to warn me about the towbar. I informed ground that I had just removed it. The rest of the 'taxi' proceeded without incidence. On the drive back to our FBO, my boss called me because he had heard about the towbar. He was fairly upset and asked if the propeller had hit it. This never occurred to me, because I figured the noise I heard was the sound of the towbar hitting a lip in the pavement. I returned to the aircraft to inspect the propeller. One of the blade tips was 'dinged.' I shouldn't have gotten in the plane without giving one final look-over, after leaving it unattended. Also, that morning's 'mission' may have caused me to be complacent, since I was 'just' taxiing the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TOWBAR LEFT ON C152 DURING TAXI RESULTS IN PROP STRIKE.

Narrative: THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, MY BOSS INFORMED ME THAT TWO OF OUR ACFT NEEDED TO BE TAXIED TO THE OTHER END OF THE ARPT FOR MAINT PURPOSES, BY XA00. MY ALARM CLOCK WAS IMPROPERLY SET, AND I WAS AWOKEN BY A PHONE CALL AT APPROX XB30. I IMMEDIATELY RUSHED TO WORK TO TAXI THE ACFT. IT HAD SNOWED THE NIGHT BEFORE, WHICH MADE PULLING THE C152 OUT OF THE HANGAR, USING A TOWBAR, DIFFICULT. A GENTLEMAN, WHO WAS WORKING ON ANOTHER PLANE IN THE HANGAR, OFFERED HIS ASSISTANCE. I SET THE TOWBAR DOWN AND MOVED TO THE STRUT TO PUSH THE ACFT. ONCE IT WAS OUT OF THE HANGAR, I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO CLOSE THE HANGAR DOOR BECAUSE THAT GENTLEMAN HAD COMMENTED THAT HE WAS LOSING ALL OF HIS HEAT. I THEN MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE SECRETARY TO COME PICK ME UP IN 10 MINS. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT, STARTED IT, OBTAINED MY TAXI CLRNC, AND PROCEEDED ON MY WAY. A MIN LATER, I HEARD A STRANGE SOUND, WHICH SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING HIT THE FUSELAGE. CONFUSED, I SLOWED TO A STOP, THEN REALIZED THAT I HAD NEVER REMOVED THE TOWBAR. I SHUT THE ENG DOWN, AND REMOVED THE TOWBAR, HOPING NO ONE HAD SEEN THIS. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE PLANE, GND CTL NOTIFIED ME THAT SOMEONE CALLED THEM TO WARN ME ABOUT THE TOWBAR. I INFORMED GND THAT I HAD JUST REMOVED IT. THE REST OF THE 'TAXI' PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENCE. ON THE DRIVE BACK TO OUR FBO, MY BOSS CALLED ME BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE TOWBAR. HE WAS FAIRLY UPSET AND ASKED IF THE PROP HAD HIT IT. THIS NEVER OCCURRED TO ME, BECAUSE I FIGURED THE NOISE I HEARD WAS THE SOUND OF THE TOWBAR HITTING A LIP IN THE PAVEMENT. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT TO INSPECT THE PROP. ONE OF THE BLADE TIPS WAS 'DINGED.' I SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN IN THE PLANE WITHOUT GIVING ONE FINAL LOOK-OVER, AFTER LEAVING IT UNATTENDED. ALSO, THAT MORNING'S 'MISSION' MAY HAVE CAUSED ME TO BE COMPLACENT, SINCE I WAS 'JUST' TAXIING THE ACFT.

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.