Narrative:

After takeoff at approximately 500 feet AGL both the first officer and I heard a loud noise coming from the left side of the aircraft. I would describe the noise as a loud popping sound similar to what one would hear from a flag blowing in a sustained strong wind. I looked out my window and saw what I thought was a rope entangled in the number 1 propeller. The object blurred into a squiggly circle around the disc of rotation in a radius that was outside the intake. I am unsure if the popping noise was the object flapping in the airstream or it being slapped against the hull of the aircraft. I reported to tower that we had an object entangled in the left prop; [requested priority handling]; and requested the ILS for return. Tower took the souls; the fuel; and coordinated the airport rescue and fire fighting (arff) truck to meet the aircraft. Tower then handed us off to [approach] for the ILS.I contacted the flight attendant and informed him we would be returning to the field in six minutes and that I had [requested priority handling] with ATC. We would not brace or evacuate. I would be stopping on the runway to shut down the engine and allow arff to examine the left side of the aircraft for any damage that would keep us from taxiing to the gate under our own power. The flight attendant said that was all the information he needed and would prepare the cabin for landing. By this point we were on downwind for the ILS. I would guess after about three minutes the object was thrown clear of the prop; the noise stopped; and I could no longer see the object in the propeller plane of rotation.after landing we stopped the aircraft and shut down number one. When the propeller stopped spinning I could see a piece of erosion tape about 8 inches hanging from one of the blades. It is my view that after takeoff a piece of tape; at least the length of half a propeller blade; separated down to the prop heater element at remained attached there. The loose material remained in the propeller plane of rotation until the spinning forces caused it to separate down to the 8 inch piece we saw after shutdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Dash 8-100 Captain reported returning to departure airport after noticing that something was fouling the #1 propeller. After landing it was determined that some erosion tape had come loose from the prop heater element.

Narrative: After takeoff at approximately 500 feet AGL both the First Officer and I heard a loud noise coming from the left side of the aircraft. I would describe the noise as a loud popping sound similar to what one would hear from a flag blowing in a sustained strong wind. I looked out my window and saw what I thought was a rope entangled in the number 1 propeller. The object blurred into a squiggly circle around the disc of rotation in a radius that was outside the intake. I am unsure if the popping noise was the object flapping in the airstream or it being slapped against the hull of the aircraft. I reported to Tower that we had an object entangled in the left prop; [requested priority handling]; and requested the ILS for return. Tower took the souls; the fuel; and coordinated the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) truck to meet the aircraft. Tower then handed us off to [Approach] for the ILS.I contacted the flight attendant and informed him we would be returning to the field in six minutes and that I had [requested priority handling] with ATC. We would not brace or evacuate. I would be stopping on the runway to shut down the engine and allow ARFF to examine the left side of the aircraft for any damage that would keep us from taxiing to the gate under our own power. The flight attendant said that was all the information he needed and would prepare the cabin for landing. By this point we were on downwind for the ILS. I would guess after about three minutes the object was thrown clear of the prop; the noise stopped; and I could no longer see the object in the propeller plane of rotation.After landing we stopped the aircraft and shut down number one. When the propeller stopped spinning I could see a piece of erosion tape about 8 inches hanging from one of the blades. It is my view that after takeoff a piece of tape; at least the length of half a propeller blade; separated down to the prop heater element at remained attached there. The loose material remained in the propeller plane of rotation until the spinning forces caused it to separate down to the 8 inch piece we saw after shutdown.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.