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A bellanca 7GCBC pilot was advised by the tower that his tail wheel tow bar was still attached; he returned for a safe landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 939847 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201103 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Champion Citabria Undifferentiated |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Climb |
| Route In Use | None |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Single Pilot |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Maintenance Inspection Authority Maintenance Airframe Maintenance Powerplant |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100 Flight Crew Total 7000 Flight Crew Type 500 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
Departed [and] climbing through 500 ft; was advised by the tower that it looked like a tow bar was hanging from the tail wheel. Flew the airplane to an uneventful landing; taxied to ramp and removed tow bar from tail wheel. Fatigue and complacency led to my not removing the tail wheel tow bar prior to departing. I flew the aircraft early in the morning. [I] worked the entire day prior to my late afternoon departure; performed my departure pre-flight well before my departure time. I had towed the aircraft by hand earlier in the day to where it was parked on the ramp and backed it into a corner. I did a very cursory inspection prior to start up; checked fuel and oil levels once again; removed the chocks and hopped in. I missed the tail wheel tow bar lying on the ground. The aircraft is usually kept in a hangar. My routine is to pre-flight the aircraft while in the hangar; tow it out by hand; stow the tow bar and climb in. I am very appreciative to the tower controller for noticing the tow bar. My biggest fear was that it would fall off and injure someone on the ground. I flew the aircraft as slowly as possible and avoided overflying any homes while returning to land. Moral of the story; don't ever be complacent and be extra vigilant after a long day.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A Bellanca 7GCBC pilot was advised by the Tower that his tail wheel tow bar was still attached; he returned for a safe landing.
Narrative: Departed [and] climbing through 500 FT; was advised by the Tower that it looked like a tow bar was hanging from the tail wheel. Flew the airplane to an uneventful landing; taxied to ramp and removed tow bar from tail wheel. Fatigue and complacency led to my not removing the tail wheel tow bar prior to departing. I flew the aircraft early in the morning. [I] worked the entire day prior to my late afternoon departure; performed my departure pre-flight well before my departure time. I had towed the aircraft by hand earlier in the day to where it was parked on the ramp and backed it into a corner. I did a very cursory inspection prior to start up; checked fuel and oil levels once again; removed the chocks and hopped in. I missed the tail wheel tow bar lying on the ground. The aircraft is usually kept in a hangar. My routine is to pre-flight the aircraft while in the hangar; tow it out by hand; stow the tow bar and climb in. I am very appreciative to the Tower Controller for noticing the tow bar. My biggest fear was that it would fall off and injure someone on the ground. I flew the aircraft as slowly as possible and avoided overflying any homes while returning to land. Moral of the story; don't ever be complacent and be extra vigilant after a long day.
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.