Narrative:

Location: dtw runway 21C. On takeoff at dtw, I lost the airspeed indicator on the captain's side. We then lost yaw damper 1, stabilizer trim 1, at 1, rudder limiter and windshear guidance. Also lost the flight director on the captain's side. The flight director would not slave to first officer's side. The airspeed on the first officer's side was questionable. The first officer had speed limit warnings on his pfd and his airspeed hook was intermittent and erratic. We used the standby airspeed indicator as our primary airspeed indicator. We declared an emergency and returned to dtw followed by an eventful approach and landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the first officer was flying the aircraft. Shortly after liftoff the captain lost his airspeed indicator, then stabilizer trim, then yaw damper, followed by #1 autothrottle. Flight crew slowed the aircraft down, declared an emergency, and assessed the situation. Initial feeling was the air data computer failed or a pitot tube failed. The flight crew got the aircraft safely on the ground and taxied back to the gate for maintenance help. Maintenance found a sticky substance in the captain's pitot tube. It was surmised that an insect or insects flew into the pitot tube and melted with the heat that was being applied to the pitot tube. The pitot tube was dismounted and air blown through it to clear the obstruction. Air pressure was not enough at 150 psi so a ridged pipe cleaner was used to clear the obstruction. It was very solid mass and difficult to clear. Once cleared, the aircraft departed again and all system worked properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOKKER 100 ACFT LOSES MUCH OF ITS AUTOFLT SYS SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF FROM DTW CAUSED BY BLOCKAGE OF THE ACFT PITOT TUBE.

Narrative: LOCATION: DTW RWY 21C. ON TKOF AT DTW, I LOST THE AIRSPD INDICATOR ON THE CAPT'S SIDE. WE THEN LOST YAW DAMPER 1, STABILIZER TRIM 1, AT 1, RUDDER LIMITER AND WINDSHEAR GUIDANCE. ALSO LOST THE FLT DIRECTOR ON THE CAPT'S SIDE. THE FLT DIRECTOR WOULD NOT SLAVE TO FO'S SIDE. THE AIRSPD ON THE FO'S SIDE WAS QUESTIONABLE. THE FO HAD SPD LIMIT WARNINGS ON HIS PFD AND HIS AIRSPD HOOK WAS INTERMITTENT AND ERRATIC. WE USED THE STANDBY AIRSPD INDICATOR AS OUR PRIMARY AIRSPD INDICATOR. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO DTW FOLLOWED BY AN EVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF THE CAPT LOST HIS AIRSPD INDICATOR, THEN STABILIZER TRIM, THEN YAW DAMPER, FOLLOWED BY #1 AUTOTHROTTLE. FLC SLOWED THE ACFT DOWN, DECLARED AN EMER, AND ASSESSED THE SIT. INITIAL FEELING WAS THE AIR DATA COMPUTER FAILED OR A PITOT TUBE FAILED. THE FLC GOT THE ACFT SAFELY ON THE GND AND TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE FOR MAINT HELP. MAINT FOUND A STICKY SUBSTANCE IN THE CAPT'S PITOT TUBE. IT WAS SURMISED THAT AN INSECT OR INSECTS FLEW INTO THE PITOT TUBE AND MELTED WITH THE HEAT THAT WAS BEING APPLIED TO THE PITOT TUBE. THE PITOT TUBE WAS DISMOUNTED AND AIR BLOWN THROUGH IT TO CLR THE OBSTRUCTION. AIR PRESSURE WAS NOT ENOUGH AT 150 PSI SO A RIDGED PIPE CLEANER WAS USED TO CLR THE OBSTRUCTION. IT WAS VERY SOLID MASS AND DIFFICULT TO CLR. ONCE CLRED, THE ACFT DEPARTED AGAIN AND ALL SYS WORKED PROPERLY.

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.