Narrative:

After loading my passenger for a routine scheduled flight to wainwright, I walked around the front of the aircraft and boarded. I routinely had my ramp agent pull the tail stand and put it away prior to removing the start cart. On this date I got in the aircraft, started it, the start cart was pulled and taxied for takeoff. During the takeoff run, FSS stated that he had received a phone call stating that my tail stand was still in. A few seconds later, he confirmed it to me. I climbed to 500 ft AGL, made shallow turns to return to land on runway 24. I asked the ramper on the radio to remove it and check for damage. I was fairly certain that there would not be any damage given the limits of travel designed on the tail stand so I stayed in the aircraft with the engine running until the ramper signaled that all was ok and I continued with the flight. The lesson learned is that, however good the ramper is -- I am always responsible for my safety and that of my passenger and I must always check to be sure! And when it does happen again, shut down and check for damage myself because I am the PIC and I am the one who has my license on the line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ACFT ON SCHEDULED COMMUTER FLT. PLT FAILED TO REMOVE OR HAVE REMOVED THE TAIL STAND PRIOR TO TAXI TKOF. FSS NOTIFIED PLT AFTER TKOF THAT THE TAIL STAND WAS STILL ATTACHED TO ACFT. RPTR LANDED, HAD IT REMOVED AND CONTINUED. RPTR SAYS HE SHOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND REMOVED THE STAND HIMSELF WHILE INSPECTING THE ACFT INSTEAD OF TAKING A CGP WORD THAT ALL WAS OK.

Narrative: AFTER LOADING MY PAX FOR A ROUTINE SCHEDULED FLT TO WAINWRIGHT, I WALKED AROUND THE FRONT OF THE ACFT AND BOARDED. I ROUTINELY HAD MY RAMP AGENT PULL THE TAIL STAND AND PUT IT AWAY PRIOR TO REMOVING THE START CART. ON THIS DATE I GOT IN THE ACFT, STARTED IT, THE START CART WAS PULLED AND TAXIED FOR TKOF. DURING THE TKOF RUN, FSS STATED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED A PHONE CALL STATING THAT MY TAIL STAND WAS STILL IN. A FEW SECONDS LATER, HE CONFIRMED IT TO ME. I CLBED TO 500 FT AGL, MADE SHALLOW TURNS TO RETURN TO LAND ON RWY 24. I ASKED THE RAMPER ON THE RADIO TO REMOVE IT AND CHK FOR DAMAGE. I WAS FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY DAMAGE GIVEN THE LIMITS OF TRAVEL DESIGNED ON THE TAIL STAND SO I STAYED IN THE ACFT WITH THE ENG RUNNING UNTIL THE RAMPER SIGNALED THAT ALL WAS OK AND I CONTINUED WITH THE FLT. THE LESSON LEARNED IS THAT, HOWEVER GOOD THE RAMPER IS -- I AM ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY SAFETY AND THAT OF MY PAX AND I MUST ALWAYS CHK TO BE SURE! AND WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN AGAIN, SHUT DOWN AND CHK FOR DAMAGE MYSELF BECAUSE I AM THE PIC AND I AM THE ONE WHO HAS MY LICENSE ON THE LINE.

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.