Aircraft departed airport with unobserved tow bar attached to nose wheel.

Attributes
ACN	123728
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ful
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 43 flight time total : 750
ASRS Report	123728
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This is to inform you of a safety incident that happened in 9/89 at late am. I pulled my airplane out of my hangar using my electric pulley and had it fueled up. After fueling up, I did my preflight. The attending mechanic said I needed O2 and decided to fill up the tank. Apparently he had to move the airplane and chose to use the tow bar west/O my knowledge. When I landed at brackett field, ground informed me that the tow bar was still attached. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that the mechanic had moved his aircraft about 2' for the O2 service west/O his knowing it. Reporter had gone back to the hangar to close the large door mechanically, and then lock the access door. By the time he had returned, the mechanic was finished and was just driving off in his small cart, west/O saying anything to the pilot. Since the pilot had already completed his walk-around and preflight, he thought nothing of getting in and starting up. He said that he has learned from this event--that in the future anytime anyone has been near his aircraft after the preflight, he will look at the aircraft again. The tow bar is short enough that it did not interfere with the gear retraction cycle or obstruct the nose gear door.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEPARTED ARPT WITH UNOBSERVED TOW BAR ATTACHED TO NOSE WHEEL.

Narrative: THIS IS TO INFORM YOU OF A SAFETY INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN 9/89 AT LATE AM. I PULLED MY AIRPLANE OUT OF MY HANGAR USING MY ELECTRIC PULLEY AND HAD IT FUELED UP. AFTER FUELING UP, I DID MY PREFLT. THE ATTENDING MECH SAID I NEEDED O2 AND DECIDED TO FILL UP THE TANK. APPARENTLY HE HAD TO MOVE THE AIRPLANE AND CHOSE TO USE THE TOW BAR W/O MY KNOWLEDGE. WHEN I LANDED AT BRACKETT FIELD, GND INFORMED ME THAT THE TOW BAR WAS STILL ATTACHED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT THE MECH HAD MOVED HIS ACFT ABOUT 2' FOR THE O2 SVC W/O HIS KNOWING IT. RPTR HAD GONE BACK TO THE HANGAR TO CLOSE THE LARGE DOOR MECHANICALLY, AND THEN LOCK THE ACCESS DOOR. BY THE TIME HE HAD RETURNED, THE MECH WAS FINISHED AND WAS JUST DRIVING OFF IN HIS SMALL CART, W/O SAYING ANYTHING TO THE PLT. SINCE THE PLT HAD ALREADY COMPLETED HIS WALK-AROUND AND PREFLT, HE THOUGHT NOTHING OF GETTING IN AND STARTING UP. HE SAID THAT HE HAS LEARNED FROM THIS EVENT--THAT IN THE FUTURE ANYTIME ANYONE HAS BEEN NEAR HIS ACFT AFTER THE PREFLT, HE WILL LOOK AT THE ACFT AGAIN. THE TOW BAR IS SHORT ENOUGH THAT IT DID NOT INTERFERE WITH THE GEAR RETRACTION CYCLE OR OBSTRUCT THE NOSE GEAR DOOR.

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