Narrative:

I preflted the airplane and removed 2 wasps from the cabin. I was practicing a soft field takeoff when, towards the end of the runway at approximately 100 ft, a wasp flew into my vision and distracted me. I tried to hold altitude at about 200 ft to prevent a stall (from pulling up unknowingly in panic) as I pulled my wits together. It stung me on the hand as I tried to wave it away but I was able to correct my flight path (which had diverted right of the runway, close to a skydiving operation) and make a sharp climbing turn to the left away from the building and the trees. There was no conflict and the wasp sting did not create any adverse physical reaction. Just because you fly out of an airport frequently does not mean that you can expect your cockpit to be free of insects (or worse). It only takes a min for a small creature to move their 'home' -- a wasp could build a good size nest overnight. We need to remember that preflting the cabin does not mean just removing the gust lock. I assumed that since I saw only 2 wasps, that that was all there was. I should have looked even harder to see if there were more. The next day I flew, I found a centipede under the step outside the door -- I'm glad I am looking harder now as I could have found him hidden in my plush sheepskin cover as I sat down -- you can never be too careful. We read stories of people who have had their airplanes sitting in fields or hangars for long periods of time and had passenger of this nature which they didn't expect but that is not the only place it happens. I was lucky there wasn't a big nest full of them circling me at once. I don't know if I could have handled that. A funny side note: being a female, I wear perfume every day -- and I've found that wasps and bees are attracted to me when I wear flower scents. I wonder if it would have been circling my head if I hadn't worn the perfume.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WASP IN COCKPIT ON TKOF. STINGS PLT CAUSES SOME LOSS OF CTL DURING DISTR.

Narrative: I PREFLTED THE AIRPLANE AND REMOVED 2 WASPS FROM THE CABIN. I WAS PRACTICING A SOFT FIELD TKOF WHEN, TOWARDS THE END OF THE RWY AT APPROX 100 FT, A WASP FLEW INTO MY VISION AND DISTRACTED ME. I TRIED TO HOLD ALT AT ABOUT 200 FT TO PREVENT A STALL (FROM PULLING UP UNKNOWINGLY IN PANIC) AS I PULLED MY WITS TOGETHER. IT STUNG ME ON THE HAND AS I TRIED TO WAVE IT AWAY BUT I WAS ABLE TO CORRECT MY FLT PATH (WHICH HAD DIVERTED R OF THE RWY, CLOSE TO A SKYDIVING OP) AND MAKE A SHARP CLBING TURN TO THE L AWAY FROM THE BUILDING AND THE TREES. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AND THE WASP STING DID NOT CREATE ANY ADVERSE PHYSICAL REACTION. JUST BECAUSE YOU FLY OUT OF AN ARPT FREQUENTLY DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU CAN EXPECT YOUR COCKPIT TO BE FREE OF INSECTS (OR WORSE). IT ONLY TAKES A MIN FOR A SMALL CREATURE TO MOVE THEIR 'HOME' -- A WASP COULD BUILD A GOOD SIZE NEST OVERNIGHT. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT PREFLTING THE CABIN DOES NOT MEAN JUST REMOVING THE GUST LOCK. I ASSUMED THAT SINCE I SAW ONLY 2 WASPS, THAT THAT WAS ALL THERE WAS. I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED EVEN HARDER TO SEE IF THERE WERE MORE. THE NEXT DAY I FLEW, I FOUND A CENTIPEDE UNDER THE STEP OUTSIDE THE DOOR -- I'M GLAD I AM LOOKING HARDER NOW AS I COULD HAVE FOUND HIM HIDDEN IN MY PLUSH SHEEPSKIN COVER AS I SAT DOWN -- YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO CAREFUL. WE READ STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THEIR AIRPLANES SITTING IN FIELDS OR HANGARS FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME AND HAD PAX OF THIS NATURE WHICH THEY DIDN'T EXPECT BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE IT HAPPENS. I WAS LUCKY THERE WASN'T A BIG NEST FULL OF THEM CIRCLING ME AT ONCE. I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD HAVE HANDLED THAT. A FUNNY SIDE NOTE: BEING A FEMALE, I WEAR PERFUME EVERY DAY -- AND I'VE FOUND THAT WASPS AND BEES ARE ATTRACTED TO ME WHEN I WEAR FLOWER SCENTS. I WONDER IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CIRCLING MY HEAD IF I HADN'T WORN THE PERFUME.

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.