Instructor and student pilot forget to remove tow bar from low wing small aircraft prior to night fl...

Attributes
ACN	741547
Time
Date	200706
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	741547
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The propeller on an lsa evektor sport STAR was destroyed when the tow bar; which was left attached by my student; flew up and hit the propeller when we started taxiing for a night flight. The plane was preflted twice; once by me and once by the student in the lit hangar. After the preflight; the student pulled the plane out of the hangar into the dark. The student had 41 hours of flight time. He followed the checklist but forgot to remove the tow bar. After pulling the plane out into the dark; he became distraction and had to use the restroom and ran to the bathroom. He left the tow bar on. The evektor is a low wing aircraft and you get into the plane from the rear; where the tow bar was not visible. The aircraft was started and we began to taxi. The tow bar flew into the propeller which was destroyed. No injuries or other damage occurred. After monitoring the student's preflight procedures many times before; I found him competent to conduct it without assistance. His distraction caused him to leave the tow bar attached.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLT FORGET TO REMOVE TOW BAR FROM LOW WING SMA PRIOR TO NIGHT FLIGHT. DESTROYS PROP DURING TAXI.

Narrative: THE PROP ON AN LSA EVEKTOR SPORT STAR WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE TOW BAR; WHICH WAS LEFT ATTACHED BY MY STUDENT; FLEW UP AND HIT THE PROP WHEN WE STARTED TAXIING FOR A NIGHT FLT. THE PLANE WAS PREFLTED TWICE; ONCE BY ME AND ONCE BY THE STUDENT IN THE LIT HANGAR. AFTER THE PREFLT; THE STUDENT PULLED THE PLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR INTO THE DARK. THE STUDENT HAD 41 HRS OF FLT TIME. HE FOLLOWED THE CHKLIST BUT FORGOT TO REMOVE THE TOW BAR. AFTER PULLING THE PLANE OUT INTO THE DARK; HE BECAME DISTR AND HAD TO USE THE RESTROOM AND RAN TO THE BATHROOM. HE LEFT THE TOW BAR ON. THE EVEKTOR IS A LOW WING ACFT AND YOU GET INTO THE PLANE FROM THE REAR; WHERE THE TOW BAR WAS NOT VISIBLE. THE ACFT WAS STARTED AND WE BEGAN TO TAXI. THE TOW BAR FLEW INTO THE PROP WHICH WAS DESTROYED. NO INJURIES OR OTHER DAMAGE OCCURRED. AFTER MONITORING THE STUDENT'S PREFLT PROCS MANY TIMES BEFORE; I FOUND HIM COMPETENT TO CONDUCT IT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. HIS DISTR CAUSED HIM TO LEAVE THE TOW BAR ATTACHED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Instructor and student pilot forget to remove tow bar from low wing small aircraft prior to night flight. Destroys propeller during taxi.