After parking overnight at apc; a general aviation pilot discovered fee envelope attached to the gea...

Attributes
ACN	847395
Time
Date	200908
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	APC.Airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft High Wing 1 Eng Retractable Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot Airport Personnel
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 75 Flight Crew Total 3500 Flight Crew Type 20
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Other / Unknown

Narrative:

I parked my aircraft overnight in the transient parking area at napa county airport (apc). Upon pre-flighting the aircraft for departure the following day; I noticed an airport parking fee envelope attached to the left main gear leg with rubber bands. This envelope was attached to the underside of the main gear leg and was not obvious except upon close inspection. I presume that this envelope was placed on the aircraft by airport personnel in order to collect the overnight parking fee. My aircraft has retractable landing gear. If this attachment had gone unnoticed; possible interference with the landing gear retraction mechanism could have occurred. I am concerned that airport personnel are attaching inconspicuous items to aircraft without the pilot's knowledge. Even if the items are conspicuous; I do not believe this to be a wise practice. Airport personnel cannot be knowledgeable of every aircraft type and could unintentionally affect the operation of aircraft systems. I believe that airport personnel should refrain from attaching items to parked aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: After parking overnight at APC; a general aviation pilot discovered fee envelope attached to the gear strut with rubber bands. The aircraft has retractable gear and the reporter believes envelope could interfere with gear operation.

Narrative: I parked my aircraft overnight in the transient parking area at Napa County Airport (APC). Upon pre-flighting the aircraft for departure the following day; I noticed an airport parking fee envelope attached to the left main gear leg with rubber bands. This envelope was attached to the underside of the main gear leg and was not obvious except upon close inspection. I presume that this envelope was placed on the aircraft by airport personnel in order to collect the overnight parking fee. My aircraft has retractable landing gear. If this attachment had gone unnoticed; possible interference with the landing gear retraction mechanism could have occurred. I am concerned that airport personnel are attaching inconspicuous items to aircraft without the pilot's knowledge. Even if the items are conspicuous; I do not believe this to be a wise practice. Airport personnel cannot be knowledgeable of every aircraft type and could unintentionally affect the operation of aircraft systems. I believe that airport personnel should refrain from attaching items to parked aircraft.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

After parking overnight at apc; a general aviation pilot discovered fee envelope attached to the gear strut with rubber bands. The aircraft has retractable gear and the reporter believes envelope could interfere with gear operation.