Narrative:

Late afternoon I was performing takeoffs and lndgs at david wayne hooks airport, northwest of houston. I made such until night fall and made 3 more for night currency. I then landed and parked the cessna skylane rg in front of the hangar and had some dinner there. Afterward, I wanted to finish some additional night training (solo) and entered the same aircraft. I did not conduct a complete walkaround/preflight for this second night flight. I also did not see the 'tow bar' I had attached to the nosewheel when I parked the aircraft initially. When I first landed, I did not intend to fly again, but later realized I still needed to fly approximately .5 hours for quarterly training requirements. I started the engine, called ground control, taxied and received takeoff clearance (following pre takeoff checklist, ATIS reports, etc). Upon takeoff, I heard a 'thump' under my feet and initially thought I struck an object on the runway. I left the landing gear down, informed tower of possible obstruction on the runway and requested landing clearance. I came around and landed without incident and taxied to our hangar. Nothing was found on the runway after tower controllers had airport maintenance conduct a safety inspection. I conducted a check of the underside of the aircraft and gear area and found no indication of any problem. A further check of a roadway, clear of my departure taxiway exit, revealed the tow bar that had been attached to the nosewheel. Apparently, it had remained attached to the nosewheel until I turned off the taxiway , then it came off. When I had taken off, the tow bar probably trailed to the rear of the nosewheel and remained that way upon touchdown. Aircraft was inspected by FAA certified repair facility, and put aircraft on jacks and swung gear. No damage noted, or repairs necessary. Aircraft flown by me later without incident. Obviously my lack of a thorough predep check of the aircraft led to this incident, which could have been quite serious had I retracted the gear and it jammed. One can never become complacent and neglect to conduct routine aircraft checks, without eventually facing serious consequences. This was a reality check which got my attention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A UNITED STATES GOV PLT DEPARTED FROM DWH IN A C182RG WITH THE TOW BAR STILL ATTACHED.

Narrative: LATE AFTERNOON I WAS PERFORMING TKOFS AND LNDGS AT DAVID WAYNE HOOKS ARPT, NW OF HOUSTON. I MADE SUCH UNTIL NIGHT FALL AND MADE 3 MORE FOR NIGHT CURRENCY. I THEN LANDED AND PARKED THE CESSNA SKYLANE RG IN FRONT OF THE HANGAR AND HAD SOME DINNER THERE. AFTERWARD, I WANTED TO FINISH SOME ADDITIONAL NIGHT TRAINING (SOLO) AND ENTERED THE SAME ACFT. I DID NOT CONDUCT A COMPLETE WALKAROUND/PREFLT FOR THIS SECOND NIGHT FLT. I ALSO DID NOT SEE THE 'TOW BAR' I HAD ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL WHEN I PARKED THE ACFT INITIALLY. WHEN I FIRST LANDED, I DID NOT INTEND TO FLY AGAIN, BUT LATER REALIZED I STILL NEEDED TO FLY APPROX .5 HRS FOR QUARTERLY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. I STARTED THE ENG, CALLED GND CTL, TAXIED AND RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC (FOLLOWING PRE TKOF CHKLIST, ATIS RPTS, ETC). UPON TKOF, I HEARD A 'THUMP' UNDER MY FEET AND INITIALLY THOUGHT I STRUCK AN OBJECT ON THE RWY. I LEFT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN, INFORMED TWR OF POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTION ON THE RWY AND REQUESTED LNDG CLRNC. I CAME AROUND AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO OUR HANGAR. NOTHING WAS FOUND ON THE RWY AFTER TWR CTLRS HAD ARPT MAINT CONDUCT A SAFETY INSPECTION. I CONDUCTED A CHK OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ACFT AND GEAR AREA AND FOUND NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB. A FURTHER CHK OF A ROADWAY, CLR OF MY DEP TXWY EXIT, REVEALED THE TOW BAR THAT HAD BEEN ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL. APPARENTLY, IT HAD REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE TXWY , THEN IT CAME OFF. WHEN I HAD TAKEN OFF, THE TOW BAR PROBABLY TRAILED TO THE REAR OF THE NOSEWHEEL AND REMAINED THAT WAY UPON TOUCHDOWN. ACFT WAS INSPECTED BY FAA CERTIFIED REPAIR FACILITY, AND PUT ACFT ON JACKS AND SWUNG GEAR. NO DAMAGE NOTED, OR REPAIRS NECESSARY. ACFT FLOWN BY ME LATER WITHOUT INCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY MY LACK OF A THOROUGH PREDEP CHK OF THE ACFT LED TO THIS INCIDENT, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE SERIOUS HAD I RETRACTED THE GEAR AND IT JAMMED. ONE CAN NEVER BECOME COMPLACENT AND NEGLECT TO CONDUCT ROUTINE ACFT CHKS, WITHOUT EVENTUALLY FACING SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. THIS WAS A REALITY CHK WHICH GOT MY ATTN.

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.