Narrative:

I had taken off from akr and done 3 flts in the traffic pattern to maintain my night currency. Had done a thorough preflight. However, there was possible WX moving in from the west, and I wanted to complete my flying before the airport was socked in. Unfortunately, in my haste, I didn't secure the towbar properly in the baggage compartment. When taking off on my second takeoff of three, I heard a faint thud in the back, and thought the outside noise was louder than it should have been. After landing, I stopped on the taxiway, looked back in the aircraft, and also opened the door and leaned out to see if I could spot anything. In the evening light, I saw nothing, and the baggage door appeared to be closed. I completed my final circuit and parked the aircraft. When I got ready to put the aircraft in its hangar, I then noticed the baggage door latch wasn't fully closed, although the door itself appeared to be. When I looked for the towbar, it was missing. A frantic search of the txwys and runway turned up nothing. Since the airport operations office was closed, I left a note at the gate indicating that I was missing a towbar, with my cell number. Fortunately, airport personnel found the towbar the next day, in a field area next to the runway, slightly damaged but still usable. From this experience, I have learned to more securely house the towbar in the aircraft, or leave it in the hangar for local flts, and to not get so rushed in my preparations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT FAILS TO SECURELY CLOSE THE CARGO DOOR RESULTING IN THE TOWBAR FALLING OUT INFLT WHILE DOING TOUCH AND GOES AT AKR, OH.

Narrative: I HAD TAKEN OFF FROM AKR AND DONE 3 FLTS IN THE TFC PATTERN TO MAINTAIN MY NIGHT CURRENCY. HAD DONE A THOROUGH PREFLT. HOWEVER, THERE WAS POSSIBLE WX MOVING IN FROM THE W, AND I WANTED TO COMPLETE MY FLYING BEFORE THE ARPT WAS SOCKED IN. UNFORTUNATELY, IN MY HASTE, I DIDN'T SECURE THE TOWBAR PROPERLY IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. WHEN TAKING OFF ON MY SECOND TKOF OF THREE, I HEARD A FAINT THUD IN THE BACK, AND THOUGHT THE OUTSIDE NOISE WAS LOUDER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. AFTER LNDG, I STOPPED ON THE TXWY, LOOKED BACK IN THE ACFT, AND ALSO OPENED THE DOOR AND LEANED OUT TO SEE IF I COULD SPOT ANYTHING. IN THE EVENING LIGHT, I SAW NOTHING, AND THE BAGGAGE DOOR APPEARED TO BE CLOSED. I COMPLETED MY FINAL CIRCUIT AND PARKED THE ACFT. WHEN I GOT READY TO PUT THE ACFT IN ITS HANGAR, I THEN NOTICED THE BAGGAGE DOOR LATCH WASN'T FULLY CLOSED, ALTHOUGH THE DOOR ITSELF APPEARED TO BE. WHEN I LOOKED FOR THE TOWBAR, IT WAS MISSING. A FRANTIC SEARCH OF THE TXWYS AND RWY TURNED UP NOTHING. SINCE THE ARPT OPS OFFICE WAS CLOSED, I LEFT A NOTE AT THE GATE INDICATING THAT I WAS MISSING A TOWBAR, WITH MY CELL NUMBER. FORTUNATELY, ARPT PERSONNEL FOUND THE TOWBAR THE NEXT DAY, IN A FIELD AREA NEXT TO THE RWY, SLIGHTLY DAMAGED BUT STILL USABLE. FROM THIS EXPERIENCE, I HAVE LEARNED TO MORE SECURELY HOUSE THE TOWBAR IN THE ACFT, OR LEAVE IT IN THE HANGAR FOR LCL FLTS, AND TO NOT GET SO RUSHED IN MY PREPARATIONS.

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.