A DC9 parked on a gate had the jetway WX canopy fabric melt on the captain's heated pitot tube.

Attributes
ACN	389479
Time
Date	199712
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	389479
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While performing preflight duties in the cockpit, I noticed a small amount of smoke forward of the windshield. Assuming that it was from a normal source (power cart, tug, luggage tractor, etc) I didn't give it a second thought. However, a short time later, when I glanced up and again saw the smoke, I sat up and peered down the radome. 'And what to my wondering eyes should appear...?' I found a loose piece of the 'jetway' WX canopy in contact with the captain's pitot tube. In short order I snapped the pitot heat switch 'off' and jumped up, dashed outside, and pulled the loose piece of fabric off the pitot tube. Close inspection revealed a significant deposit of rubberized fabric 'fried' on the pitot tube. I called maintenance, wrote up the discrepancy in the logbook, and attempted to explain the 'brief' delay to the passenger. Within about 20 mins the pitot tube had been cleaned off and we were on our way. Analysis: 1) the WX canopy on this gate was in poor condition, tattered and torn, with loose parts flapping in the breeze. (Cause.) 2) my guess is that there are lots of others like that at mem (and elsewhere). 3) most likely there are numerous other cases throughout the industry of 'debris melted on the pitot tube' that were not noted prior to departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 PARKED ON A GATE HAD THE JETWAY WX CANOPY FABRIC MELT ON THE CAPT'S HEATED PITOT TUBE.

Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING PREFLT DUTIES IN THE COCKPIT, I NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE FORWARD OF THE WINDSHIELD. ASSUMING THAT IT WAS FROM A NORMAL SOURCE (PWR CART, TUG, LUGGAGE TRACTOR, ETC) I DIDN'T GIVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT. HOWEVER, A SHORT TIME LATER, WHEN I GLANCED UP AND AGAIN SAW THE SMOKE, I SAT UP AND PEERED DOWN THE RADOME. 'AND WHAT TO MY WONDERING EYES SHOULD APPEAR...?' I FOUND A LOOSE PIECE OF THE 'JETWAY' WX CANOPY IN CONTACT WITH THE CAPT'S PITOT TUBE. IN SHORT ORDER I SNAPPED THE PITOT HEAT SWITCH 'OFF' AND JUMPED UP, DASHED OUTSIDE, AND PULLED THE LOOSE PIECE OF FABRIC OFF THE PITOT TUBE. CLOSE INSPECTION REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DEPOSIT OF RUBBERIZED FABRIC 'FRIED' ON THE PITOT TUBE. I CALLED MAINT, WROTE UP THE DISCREPANCY IN THE LOGBOOK, AND ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THE 'BRIEF' DELAY TO THE PAX. WITHIN ABOUT 20 MINS THE PITOT TUBE HAD BEEN CLEANED OFF AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. ANALYSIS: 1) THE WX CANOPY ON THIS GATE WAS IN POOR CONDITION, TATTERED AND TORN, WITH LOOSE PARTS FLAPPING IN THE BREEZE. (CAUSE.) 2) MY GUESS IS THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHERS LIKE THAT AT MEM (AND ELSEWHERE). 3) MOST LIKELY THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER CASES THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY OF 'DEBRIS MELTED ON THE PITOT TUBE' THAT WERE NOT NOTED PRIOR TO DEP.

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.