<< >> NASA ASRS Report 328638, February 1996

After being washed, the aircraft was returned to service with the static ports still taped. Flight crew missed seeing the taped ports on preflight and during takeoff noted the erroneous airspds. Emergency declared and aircraft returned for landing.

Attributes
ACN	328638
Time
Date	199602
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : phx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	328638
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2700
ASRS Report	328745
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We flew this aircraft to phx and both the crew and the aircraft overnighted. During the night ground crew moved the aircraft from the gate and washed it. Upon departure the next morning, at about rotation, all airspeed and altitude information became erratic and unusable. We stayed VMC, declared an emergency and landed at the departure airport, phoenix. Maintenance personnel found small pieces of metallic tape covering static ports. Supplemental information from acn 328745: 1) when aircraft are washed, a highly visible covering should be used, not aluminum tape that blends with its surroundings. 2) someone responsible for a post wash checklist. 3) an entry into the aircraft logbook that the aircraft had been washed and that the pitot and static ports had been covered and uncovered. 4) last and most important of all, a thorough preflight by the flight crew (me)!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER BEING WASHED, THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC WITH THE STATIC PORTS STILL TAPED. FLC MISSED SEEING THE TAPED PORTS ON PREFLT AND DURING TKOF NOTED THE ERRONEOUS AIRSPDS. EMER DECLARED AND ACFT RETURNED FOR LNDG.

Narrative: WE FLEW THIS ACFT TO PHX AND BOTH THE CREW AND THE ACFT OVERNIGHTED. DURING THE NIGHT GND CREW MOVED THE ACFT FROM THE GATE AND WASHED IT. UPON DEP THE NEXT MORNING, AT ABOUT ROTATION, ALL AIRSPD AND ALT INFO BECAME ERRATIC AND UNUSABLE. WE STAYED VMC, DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT THE DEP ARPT, PHOENIX. MAINT PERSONNEL FOUND SMALL PIECES OF METALLIC TAPE COVERING STATIC PORTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 328745: 1) WHEN ACFT ARE WASHED, A HIGHLY VISIBLE COVERING SHOULD BE USED, NOT ALUMINUM TAPE THAT BLENDS WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS. 2) SOMEONE RESPONSIBLE FOR A POST WASH CHKLIST. 3) AN ENTRY INTO THE ACFT LOGBOOK THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN WASHED AND THAT THE PITOT AND STATIC PORTS HAD BEEN COVERED AND UNCOVERED. 4) LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, A THOROUGH PREFLT BY THE FLC (ME)!

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.