Narrative:

Early morning departure, dark ramp, also flying with a part- time pilot (although one we use fairly regularly). Aircraft was already out when I arrived and I was busy with WX, flight planning, passenger meals, etc. I did not finish my walkaround inspection as I was interrupted by a passenger arriving very early. I took care of the passenger and never resumed my normal routine. I had a couple of hints that something was amiss during taxi but blew them off. On the takeoff roll the first officer call for '90 KTS' wasn't forthcoming and I instead heard 'you've got no airspeed.' it took a couple of seconds to realize I hadn't heard 'airspeed alive.' I then called 'say your airspeed' (#2 indicator). Came the reply 'I've got no airspeed either.' by this time we had considerable speed and at present weight and WX conditions I elected to continue takeoff. Once airborne I showed 'air data computer failure' light with accompanying flags on instruments. The odd thing was that #2 airspeed wasn't working either, I couldn't figure it out, but decided to dump fuel and return to base. Tower rolled the emergency equipment. (Must be an automatic thing for a return to base.) after dumping fuel and turning inbound I realized why we had the problems. The aircraft had been inspected and washed the day before and tape had been left on the static ports and pitot tubes. I had not seen them in the dark and my preflight had been interrupted. Absolutely no excuse! I have resolved to arrive in time to preflight in a lighted hangar and increase my vigilance. I now physically touch each item and verify condition on preflight. Maintenance now uses long, red tape streamers to cover pitot and static ports, just in case. Solutions: always, always, always do a complete preflight with flashlight if need be! When interrupted or out of your normal routine, slow down, start over and verify! Pay attention to warning signs: 1) flaps were down on arrival, reason: aircraft had been washed and they always cover pitot/static ports. 2) altimeter slightly off field elevation -- (what's wrong? Could the static ports be taped?) 3)airspeed needle not quite on zero: (see #2). Parting thought: complacency kills! It was cavu this time, what if it had been 200 ft and half a mi?!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FUEL DUMPED, RETURN LAND MANDATED BY ACFT EQUIP PROB. NO AIRSPD ON TKOF ROLL, CONTINUES TKOF.

Narrative: EARLY MORNING DEP, DARK RAMP, ALSO FLYING WITH A PART- TIME PLT (ALTHOUGH ONE WE USE FAIRLY REGULARLY). ACFT WAS ALREADY OUT WHEN I ARRIVED AND I WAS BUSY WITH WX, FLT PLANNING, PAX MEALS, ETC. I DID NOT FINISH MY WALKAROUND INSPECTION AS I WAS INTERRUPTED BY A PAX ARRIVING VERY EARLY. I TOOK CARE OF THE PAX AND NEVER RESUMED MY NORMAL ROUTINE. I HAD A COUPLE OF HINTS THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS DURING TAXI BUT BLEW THEM OFF. ON THE TKOF ROLL THE FO CALL FOR '90 KTS' WASN'T FORTHCOMING AND I INSTEAD HEARD 'YOU'VE GOT NO AIRSPD.' IT TOOK A COUPLE OF SECONDS TO REALIZE I HADN'T HEARD 'AIRSPD ALIVE.' I THEN CALLED 'SAY YOUR AIRSPD' (#2 INDICATOR). CAME THE REPLY 'I'VE GOT NO AIRSPD EITHER.' BY THIS TIME WE HAD CONSIDERABLE SPD AND AT PRESENT WT AND WX CONDITIONS I ELECTED TO CONTINUE TKOF. ONCE AIRBORNE I SHOWED 'ADC FAILURE' LIGHT WITH ACCOMPANYING FLAGS ON INSTS. THE ODD THING WAS THAT #2 AIRSPD WASN'T WORKING EITHER, I COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT, BUT DECIDED TO DUMP FUEL AND RETURN TO BASE. TWR ROLLED THE EMER EQUIP. (MUST BE AN AUTOMATIC THING FOR A RETURN TO BASE.) AFTER DUMPING FUEL AND TURNING INBOUND I REALIZED WHY WE HAD THE PROBS. THE ACFT HAD BEEN INSPECTED AND WASHED THE DAY BEFORE AND TAPE HAD BEEN LEFT ON THE STATIC PORTS AND PITOT TUBES. I HAD NOT SEEN THEM IN THE DARK AND MY PREFLT HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED. ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE! I HAVE RESOLVED TO ARRIVE IN TIME TO PREFLT IN A LIGHTED HANGAR AND INCREASE MY VIGILANCE. I NOW PHYSICALLY TOUCH EACH ITEM AND VERIFY CONDITION ON PREFLT. MAINT NOW USES LONG, RED TAPE STREAMERS TO COVER PITOT AND STATIC PORTS, JUST IN CASE. SOLUTIONS: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS DO A COMPLETE PREFLT WITH FLASHLIGHT IF NEED BE! WHEN INTERRUPTED OR OUT OF YOUR NORMAL ROUTINE, SLOW DOWN, START OVER AND VERIFY! PAY ATTN TO WARNING SIGNS: 1) FLAPS WERE DOWN ON ARR, REASON: ACFT HAD BEEN WASHED AND THEY ALWAYS COVER PITOT/STATIC PORTS. 2) ALTIMETER SLIGHTLY OFF FIELD ELEVATION -- (WHAT'S WRONG? COULD THE STATIC PORTS BE TAPED?) 3)AIRSPD NEEDLE NOT QUITE ON ZERO: (SEE #2). PARTING THOUGHT: COMPLACENCY KILLS! IT WAS CAVU THIS TIME, WHAT IF IT HAD BEEN 200 FT AND HALF A MI?!

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.