Narrative:

We were flying an airplane with a stall warning that came on way before stall speed every time on takeoff and landing. This was very annoying to the passenger who are right behind the cockpit in our airplane. I discussed with my captain what we could do about it and he came up with the idea of putting a piece of paper in the stall vane, so it would not make contact anymore. After the flight we were done for the day and parked the airplane. We post-flted the plane and I put a piece of paper in the stall warning on the leading edge of the left wing. We both looked at it and instead of taking it out right away I left it in there, because I was flying that airplane again the next day. During the preflight we didn't see the piece of paper, but later on that day maintenance noticed it during a phase check. No incident or something like that came out of it, but it just shows that you can never take something for granted. Supplemental information from acn 187460: during a post-flight 'a' check inspection of my aircraft, at our maintenance base by company mechanics, it was discovered that someone had placed a gum wrapper in the stall warning vane. After an internal investigation it was discovered that my first officer had failed to see this on the preflight and the previous crew were found responsible for placing the gum wrapper. The captain was terminated and his first officer received a 1 month suspension from the company. Supplemental information from acn 187732: the do was very upset about the incident and wanted to know exactly who had put the gum wrapper in the stall vane. I told him that I didn't know who had done it. He then said, 'well, you better find out who did it because if you don't your ass is on the line, you preflted that airplane last so you are responsible'. 2 days later one of the other crewmembers who had been flying the airplane before us stepped forward and admitted that he had done it. Another reason why I didn't detect it is because of my height. I'm 1.76 M and the stall vane is 2.55 M from the ground located on the left wing, so I never can reach the thing. Callback conversation with rptrs revealed the following information: rptrs state the first officer was frustrated because maintenance never got things repaired. As a 'joke' he placed wrapper in stall warning vane. Flew the next day, turned over to new crew. Captain and first officer of second crew too short to see wrapper on this high wing aircraft. Feels probably easier to notice inside hangar with bright lights. Company turned information in to FAA. Company took immediate action and second crew received formal reprimand letters. Second captain now does his own preflight since he has ultimate responsibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FRUSTRATED FO PLACES GUM WRAPPER TO DEACTIVATE STALL WARNING.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING AN AIRPLANE WITH A STALL WARNING THAT CAME ON WAY BEFORE STALL SPD EVERY TIME ON TKOF AND LNDG. THIS WAS VERY ANNOYING TO THE PAX WHO ARE RIGHT BEHIND THE COCKPIT IN OUR AIRPLANE. I DISCUSSED WITH MY CAPT WHAT WE COULD DO ABOUT IT AND HE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF PUTTING A PIECE OF PAPER IN THE STALL VANE, SO IT WOULD NOT MAKE CONTACT ANYMORE. AFTER THE FLT WE WERE DONE FOR THE DAY AND PARKED THE AIRPLANE. WE POST-FLTED THE PLANE AND I PUT A PIECE OF PAPER IN THE STALL WARNING ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE L WING. WE BOTH LOOKED AT IT AND INSTEAD OF TAKING IT OUT RIGHT AWAY I LEFT IT IN THERE, BECAUSE I WAS FLYING THAT AIRPLANE AGAIN THE NEXT DAY. DURING THE PREFLT WE DIDN'T SEE THE PIECE OF PAPER, BUT LATER ON THAT DAY MAINT NOTICED IT DURING A PHASE CHK. NO INCIDENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT CAME OUT OF IT, BUT IT JUST SHOWS THAT YOU CAN NEVER TAKE SOMETHING FOR GRANTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 187460: DURING A POST-FLT 'A' CHK INSPECTION OF MY ACFT, AT OUR MAINT BASE BY COMPANY MECHS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT SOMEONE HAD PLACED A GUM WRAPPER IN THE STALL WARNING VANE. AFTER AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MY FO HAD FAILED TO SEE THIS ON THE PREFLT AND THE PREVIOUS CREW WERE FOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR PLACING THE GUM WRAPPER. THE CAPT WAS TERMINATED AND HIS FO RECEIVED A 1 MONTH SUSPENSION FROM THE COMPANY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 187732: THE DO WAS VERY UPSET ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND WANTED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO HAD PUT THE GUM WRAPPER IN THE STALL VANE. I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T KNOW WHO HAD DONE IT. HE THEN SAID, 'WELL, YOU BETTER FIND OUT WHO DID IT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T YOUR ASS IS ON THE LINE, YOU PREFLTED THAT AIRPLANE LAST SO YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE'. 2 DAYS LATER ONE OF THE OTHER CREWMEMBERS WHO HAD BEEN FLYING THE AIRPLANE BEFORE US STEPPED FORWARD AND ADMITTED THAT HE HAD DONE IT. ANOTHER REASON WHY I DIDN'T DETECT IT IS BECAUSE OF MY HEIGHT. I'M 1.76 M AND THE STALL VANE IS 2.55 M FROM THE GND LOCATED ON THE L WING, SO I NEVER CAN REACH THE THING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTRS REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTRS STATE THE FO WAS FRUSTRATED BECAUSE MAINT NEVER GOT THINGS REPAIRED. AS A 'JOKE' HE PLACED WRAPPER IN STALL WARNING VANE. FLEW THE NEXT DAY, TURNED OVER TO NEW CREW. CAPT AND FO OF SECOND CREW TOO SHORT TO SEE WRAPPER ON THIS HIGH WING ACFT. FEELS PROBABLY EASIER TO NOTICE INSIDE HANGAR WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS. COMPANY TURNED INFO IN TO FAA. COMPANY TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION AND SECOND CREW RECEIVED FORMAL REPRIMAND LETTERS. SECOND CAPT NOW DOES HIS OWN PREFLT SINCE HE HAS ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY.

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