Conflicting airspeed indications late in takeoff roll cause saab 340 flight crew to return to their ...

Attributes
ACN	812613
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	MI
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower tower : vhhh.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	812613
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : airspeed indicator other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

The first officer conducted the outside preflight of the aircraft and stated that everything was good. On the takeoff roll after the 80 KTS call; I noticed some discrepancies between my airspeed indicator and the first officer's side airspeed indicator. Since at this point we continued to build speed and were well above 100 KTS; we continued the takeoff as we had briefed. We climbed away from the runway and we agreed that we needed to return to ZZZ. I told ZZZ tower that we needed to return and they handed us off to departure. As we were being vectored around; I called the flight attendant and dispatch to inform them of our intentions. I verified our landing numbers in the operational data handbook. We were able to observe that the captain's side airspeed and standby airspeed were not accurate while the first officer's side airspeed indicator seemed most accurate. We did this by comparing airspeed to the FMS and also verifying our airspeed with ATC. The airspeed indicators showed a difference of 20-40 KTS depending on the airspeed of the aircraft. We did not declare an emergency. We were cleared to land on runway 4L and we landed safely. We taxied in to gate. I made a log entry for the airspeed discrepancies. Upon conducting my postflt; I observed that the lower left pitot tube was damaged and bent out about 45 degrees away from the fuselage of the aircraft. I then entered a second entry in the log and notified maintenance control.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFLICTING AIRSPEED INDICATIONS LATE IN TAKEOFF ROLL CAUSE SAAB 340 FLIGHT CREW TO RETURN TO THEIR DEPARTURE AIRPORT. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALS CAPTAIN'S PITOT TUBE DAMAGED AND BENT APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES FROM NORMAL.

Narrative: THE FO CONDUCTED THE OUTSIDE PREFLT OF THE ACFT AND STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. ON THE TKOF ROLL AFTER THE 80 KTS CALL; I NOTICED SOME DISCREPANCIES BTWN MY AIRSPD INDICATOR AND THE FO'S SIDE AIRSPD INDICATOR. SINCE AT THIS POINT WE CONTINUED TO BUILD SPD AND WERE WELL ABOVE 100 KTS; WE CONTINUED THE TKOF AS WE HAD BRIEFED. WE CLBED AWAY FROM THE RWY AND WE AGREED THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. I TOLD ZZZ TWR THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN AND THEY HANDED US OFF TO DEP. AS WE WERE BEING VECTORED AROUND; I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT AND DISPATCH TO INFORM THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS. I VERIFIED OUR LNDG NUMBERS IN THE OPERATIONAL DATA HANDBOOK. WE WERE ABLE TO OBSERVE THAT THE CAPT'S SIDE AIRSPD AND STANDBY AIRSPD WERE NOT ACCURATE WHILE THE FO'S SIDE AIRSPD INDICATOR SEEMED MOST ACCURATE. WE DID THIS BY COMPARING AIRSPD TO THE FMS AND ALSO VERIFYING OUR AIRSPD WITH ATC. THE AIRSPD INDICATORS SHOWED A DIFFERENCE OF 20-40 KTS DEPENDING ON THE AIRSPD OF THE ACFT. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 4L AND WE LANDED SAFELY. WE TAXIED IN TO GATE. I MADE A LOG ENTRY FOR THE AIRSPD DISCREPANCIES. UPON CONDUCTING MY POSTFLT; I OBSERVED THAT THE LOWER L PITOT TUBE WAS DAMAGED AND BENT OUT ABOUT 45 DEGS AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE OF THE ACFT. I THEN ENTERED A SECOND ENTRY IN THE LOG AND NOTIFIED MAINT CTL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Conflicting airspeed indications late in takeoff roll cause saab 340 flight crew to return to their departure airport. Post flight inspection reveals captain's pitot tube damaged and bent approximately 45 degrees from normal.