Narrative:

Prior to my scheduled flight, I did my preflight and repositioned the aircraft by hand for fueling and loading. I removed the wing covers and thought I had unplugged the cord from the engine heat plug-in. After loading, I removed and stored the engine cover. I then taxied out with ground control, did my run-up and got takeoff clearance from the tower. As I lifted off, the controller informed me that there appeared to be a 'rope' trailing from my aircraft. I requested and was given landing clearance. After landing and taxiing back to company, I shut down and got out to investigate. I saw that the engine heater extension cord was still plugged in and had trailed behind me throughout taxi, takeoff and landing. There was no damage to the aircraft after maintenance inspected it. I talked to our director of operations and we are working on some way of insuring this cannot happen again. I have proposed flagging the cord in some way so it will always be visible from the cockpit until removed. As far as I know, I did the same routine I have done hundreds of times to prepare the aircraft for a flight. Whether someone plugged the cord back in after I removed it, or I simply missed unplugging it is unsure. However, I am ultimately responsible for the safety of the flight, so the blame lies with me. Our goal is to come up with a system and procedure to insure this doesn't happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT DID NOT NOTICE AN ELECTRICAL PWR HEATER CORD WAS STILL CONNECTED TO THE ACFT ON THE ACFT WALKAROUND INSPECTION.

Narrative: PRIOR TO MY SCHEDULED FLT, I DID MY PREFLT AND REPOSITIONED THE ACFT BY HAND FOR FUELING AND LOADING. I REMOVED THE WING COVERS AND THOUGHT I HAD UNPLUGGED THE CORD FROM THE ENG HEAT PLUG-IN. AFTER LOADING, I REMOVED AND STORED THE ENG COVER. I THEN TAXIED OUT WITH GND CTL, DID MY RUN-UP AND GOT TKOF CLRNC FROM THE TWR. AS I LIFTED OFF, THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A 'ROPE' TRAILING FROM MY ACFT. I REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN LNDG CLRNC. AFTER LNDG AND TAXIING BACK TO COMPANY, I SHUT DOWN AND GOT OUT TO INVESTIGATE. I SAW THAT THE ENG HEATER EXTENSION CORD WAS STILL PLUGGED IN AND HAD TRAILED BEHIND ME THROUGHOUT TAXI, TKOF AND LNDG. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AFTER MAINT INSPECTED IT. I TALKED TO OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS AND WE ARE WORKING ON SOME WAY OF INSURING THIS CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAVE PROPOSED FLAGGING THE CORD IN SOME WAY SO IT WILL ALWAYS BE VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT UNTIL REMOVED. AS FAR AS I KNOW, I DID THE SAME ROUTINE I HAVE DONE HUNDREDS OF TIMES TO PREPARE THE ACFT FOR A FLT. WHETHER SOMEONE PLUGGED THE CORD BACK IN AFTER I REMOVED IT, OR I SIMPLY MISSED UNPLUGGING IT IS UNSURE. HOWEVER, I AM ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT, SO THE BLAME LIES WITH ME. OUR GOAL IS TO COME UP WITH A SYS AND PROC TO INSURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.