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An small aircraft pilot took off in predawn hours with the nosewheel tow bar still attached to the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 211057 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199205 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ful airport : psp |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : psp |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other |
| Route In Use | arrival other departure other enroute airway : psp enroute airway : ful |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 211057 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
Narrative:
Planned to depart fullerton to lake havasu at HH20. Passenger were late arriving. Necessitated a change in IFR void time with coast approach. Airplane required repositioning on ramp to allow hangar access. Passenger arrived just in time to make new IFR void time. Departed ful at HH50 local time. During rotation a loud bang was heard coming from the nosewheel. Sky was dark and ceiling was approximately 1000 ft. I elected to continue the takeoff. Gear appeared to retract normally except no uplock light was observed. Decision was made to divert to psp (WX was clear and the tower was in operation) to allow tower personnel to inspect aircraft prior to landing. Gear was manually extended, to avoid pump pressure, and green down and lock light was normal. Tower personnel advised the towbar was still attached to nose gear! Soft field landing was made with no problems no damage was observed to aircraft. Towbar was not so lucky. Mechanic inspected aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN SMA PLT TOOK OFF IN PREDAWN HRS WITH THE NOSEWHEEL TOW BAR STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT.
Narrative: PLANNED TO DEPART FULLERTON TO LAKE HAVASU AT HH20. PAX WERE LATE ARRIVING. NECESSITATED A CHANGE IN IFR VOID TIME WITH COAST APCH. AIRPLANE REQUIRED REPOSITIONING ON RAMP TO ALLOW HANGAR ACCESS. PAX ARRIVED JUST IN TIME TO MAKE NEW IFR VOID TIME. DEPARTED FUL AT HH50 LCL TIME. DURING ROTATION A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE NOSEWHEEL. SKY WAS DARK AND CEILING WAS APPROX 1000 FT. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TKOF. GEAR APPEARED TO RETRACT NORMALLY EXCEPT NO UPLOCK LIGHT WAS OBSERVED. DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO PSP (WX WAS CLR AND THE TWR WAS IN OP) TO ALLOW TWR PERSONNEL TO INSPECT ACFT PRIOR TO LNDG. GEAR WAS MANUALLY EXTENDED, TO AVOID PUMP PRESSURE, AND GREEN DOWN AND LOCK LIGHT WAS NORMAL. TWR PERSONNEL ADVISED THE TOWBAR WAS STILL ATTACHED TO NOSE GEAR! SOFT FIELD LNDG WAS MADE WITH NO PROBLEMS NO DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO ACFT. TOWBAR WAS NOT SO LUCKY. MECH INSPECTED ACFT.
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.