Narrative:

While conducting a preflight inspection of my small aircraft single engine land, I allowed myself to be distracted by a minor fuel spill. When I resumed the aircraft inspection, I apparently forgot to check the pitot tube area on the underside of the left wing (not visible from the cockpit). I started the aircraft and taxied out for departure. While waiting to take off, I was advised by another aircraft that there appeared to be a cover on the pitot tube. I immediately realized that I had failed to remove the cover, and the tower allowed me to correct the problem on the taxiway. The rest of the flight was uneventful. When I was distracted during my aircraft inspection I should obviously have checked everything again to make sure that I had not omitted anything. Contributing to this incident was the fact that my aircraft spends 99 percent of its time in a hangar, and I therefore rarely use the pitot tube cover. In this case, we were away from home base and my wife had installed the pitot cover while I made overnight parking arrangements. Next time we travel, I will install the cover myself so that I will, hopefully, be less likely to forget it. After 13 yrs and 5000 hours of flying, this was the first time that I ever omitted a critical preflight item -- hopefully it won't happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA SINGLE ENG LAND PVT ACFT FORGOT TO REMOVE THE PITOT TUBE COVER DURING PREFLT.

Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING A PREFLT INSPECTION OF MY SMA SINGLE ENG LAND, I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED BY A MINOR FUEL SPILL. WHEN I RESUMED THE ACFT INSPECTION, I APPARENTLY FORGOT TO CHK THE PITOT TUBE AREA ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE L WING (NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT). I STARTED THE ACFT AND TAXIED OUT FOR DEP. WHILE WAITING TO TAKE OFF, I WAS ADVISED BY ANOTHER ACFT THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A COVER ON THE PITOT TUBE. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT I HAD FAILED TO REMOVE THE COVER, AND THE TWR ALLOWED ME TO CORRECT THE PROB ON THE TXWY. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHEN I WAS DISTRACTED DURING MY ACFT INSPECTION I SHOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE CHKED EVERYTHING AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD NOT OMITTED ANYTHING. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT MY ACFT SPENDS 99 PERCENT OF ITS TIME IN A HANGAR, AND I THEREFORE RARELY USE THE PITOT TUBE COVER. IN THIS CASE, WE WERE AWAY FROM HOME BASE AND MY WIFE HAD INSTALLED THE PITOT COVER WHILE I MADE OVERNIGHT PARKING ARRANGEMENTS. NEXT TIME WE TRAVEL, I WILL INSTALL THE COVER MYSELF SO THAT I WILL, HOPEFULLY, BE LESS LIKELY TO FORGET IT. AFTER 13 YRS AND 5000 HRS OF FLYING, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I EVER OMITTED A CRITICAL PREFLT ITEM -- HOPEFULLY IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.