Narrative:

On initial preflight I intentionally left the aircraft tailstand on for fueling purposes. While continuing to perform my job duties I noticed that one of the interior oxygen access door panels was broken. I called on a mechanic to fix it. I left the aircraft to return inside. Upon entering the pilot's flight planning room, I saw the captain sitting on the lazyboy recliner drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper. I was perturbed at what I saw. I continued to finish my job duties and assumed those of the captain's as well (WX briefing, flight plan filing, etc). In returning to the aircraft for passenger loading, I failed to remove the tailstand. My failure to remove the tailstand was overlooked by the captain, since he neglected to do an aircraft walkaround prior to embarking. The tailstand was overlooked by a 3RD person, the ground personnel who disconnected the plug for the gpu which is located less than a foot away from the tailstand. After takeoff, the tower notified us that the tailstand was on the aircraft. I, the PNF, acknowledged the transmission and notified ATC that we would need to return to land. We landed without further incident. We were met on the ramp by our company chief pilot and a mechanic. The captain got out to remove the tailstand and confirmation was made by all three that no structural damage had occurred. The flight then continued. In the aftermath of what happened, it is a lesson learned first hand as to what can happen when pilots operate independent of each other without operations, crew coordination/communication and CRM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO DID NOT REMOVE TAILSTAND ON A LEAR25 WHILE FUELING WAS IN PROGRESS. CAPT FAILED TO NOTICE TAILSTAND ON HIS ARR. GND CREW WHO DISCONNECTED GPU FAILED TO NOTICE. TKOF WITH TAILSTAND ATTACHED WAS NOTICED BY LCL CTLR.

Narrative: ON INITIAL PREFLT I INTENTIONALLY LEFT THE ACFT TAILSTAND ON FOR FUELING PURPOSES. WHILE CONTINUING TO PERFORM MY JOB DUTIES I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE INTERIOR OXYGEN ACCESS DOOR PANELS WAS BROKEN. I CALLED ON A MECH TO FIX IT. I LEFT THE ACFT TO RETURN INSIDE. UPON ENTERING THE PLT'S FLT PLANNING ROOM, I SAW THE CAPT SITTING ON THE LAZYBOY RECLINER DRINKING HIS COFFEE AND READING THE NEWSPAPER. I WAS PERTURBED AT WHAT I SAW. I CONTINUED TO FINISH MY JOB DUTIES AND ASSUMED THOSE OF THE CAPT'S AS WELL (WX BRIEFING, FLT PLAN FILING, ETC). IN RETURNING TO THE ACFT FOR PAX LOADING, I FAILED TO REMOVE THE TAILSTAND. MY FAILURE TO REMOVE THE TAILSTAND WAS OVERLOOKED BY THE CAPT, SINCE HE NEGLECTED TO DO AN ACFT WALKAROUND PRIOR TO EMBARKING. THE TAILSTAND WAS OVERLOOKED BY A 3RD PERSON, THE GND PERSONNEL WHO DISCONNECTED THE PLUG FOR THE GPU WHICH IS LOCATED LESS THAN A FOOT AWAY FROM THE TAILSTAND. AFTER TKOF, THE TWR NOTIFIED US THAT THE TAILSTAND WAS ON THE ACFT. I, THE PNF, ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION AND NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE WOULD NEED TO RETURN TO LAND. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WE WERE MET ON THE RAMP BY OUR COMPANY CHIEF PLT AND A MECH. THE CAPT GOT OUT TO REMOVE THE TAILSTAND AND CONFIRMATION WAS MADE BY ALL THREE THAT NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. THE FLT THEN CONTINUED. IN THE AFTERMATH OF WHAT HAPPENED, IT IS A LESSON LEARNED FIRST HAND AS TO WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN PLTS OPERATE INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER WITHOUT OPS, CREW COORD/COM AND CRM.

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.