Narrative:

On feb/xx/95 I awoke at XA00 at my residence in charlotte, nc, to fly a trip for my employer. The trip left charlotte at XA30, had 3 legs ending in wilmington nc. At approximately XB00, I was to wait in wilmington until approximately XC00 for 2 more legs ending in charlotte. In wilmington I went to sleep for an hour and a half before being awakened by a call from my employer directing me to fly to 4 destinations added to my XC30 trip as soon as possible. I instantly filed an IFR flight plan to the first destination and myself and another pilot that was with me this particular day left the FBO for the airplane. We got in the airplane to look at some charts as we were unfamiliar with the route and destination. We then started the airplane, got our IFR clearance, ground control clearance, and began to taxi. After making the first turn I felt as though the rudder pedals were not exactly correct I then exercised the controls (yoke) and rudder pedals when it occurred to me that I had to remove the exterior rudder lock. At the same time I realized this, a helicopter, preparing to depart the ramp, advised the ground controller, to advise us of our predicament. I stopped the airplane had the other pilot hold the brakes while I jumped out and removed the lock, the rest of the flight was uneventful. I think this incident was the result of my attention being focused on the route and new destination rather than slowing down and focusing on the entire operation at hand. Contributing to it was the pressure to expedite the trip and having been fatigued.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INADEQUATE PREFLT CAUSES ACFT TO TAXI FOR TKOF WITH THE RUDDER LOCK LEFT ON THE RUDDER.

Narrative: ON FEB/XX/95 I AWOKE AT XA00 AT MY RESIDENCE IN CHARLOTTE, NC, TO FLY A TRIP FOR MY EMPLOYER. THE TRIP LEFT CHARLOTTE AT XA30, HAD 3 LEGS ENDING IN WILMINGTON NC. AT APPROX XB00, I WAS TO WAIT IN WILMINGTON UNTIL APPROX XC00 FOR 2 MORE LEGS ENDING IN CHARLOTTE. IN WILMINGTON I WENT TO SLEEP FOR AN HR AND A HALF BEFORE BEING AWAKENED BY A CALL FROM MY EMPLOYER DIRECTING ME TO FLY TO 4 DESTS ADDED TO MY XC30 TRIP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I INSTANTLY FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO THE FIRST DEST AND MYSELF AND ANOTHER PLT THAT WAS WITH ME THIS PARTICULAR DAY LEFT THE FBO FOR THE AIRPLANE. WE GOT IN THE AIRPLANE TO LOOK AT SOME CHARTS AS WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE RTE AND DEST. WE THEN STARTED THE AIRPLANE, GOT OUR IFR CLRNC, GND CTL CLRNC, AND BEGAN TO TAXI. AFTER MAKING THE FIRST TURN I FELT AS THOUGH THE RUDDER PEDALS WERE NOT EXACTLY CORRECT I THEN EXERCISED THE CTLS (YOKE) AND RUDDER PEDALS WHEN IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I HAD TO REMOVE THE EXTERIOR RUDDER LOCK. AT THE SAME TIME I REALIZED THIS, A HELI, PREPARING TO DEPART THE RAMP, ADVISED THE GND CTLR, TO ADVISE US OF OUR PREDICAMENT. I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE HAD THE OTHER PLT HOLD THE BRAKES WHILE I JUMPED OUT AND REMOVED THE LOCK, THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I THINK THIS INCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF MY ATTN BEING FOCUSED ON THE RTE AND NEW DEST RATHER THAN SLOWING DOWN AND FOCUSING ON THE ENTIRE OP AT HAND. CONTRIBUTING TO IT WAS THE PRESSURE TO EXPEDITE THE TRIP AND HAVING BEEN FATIGUED.

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.