Narrative:

I was the captain of flight. I showed up for work; my first officer had already completed preflight of our airplane. I went out to do a walkaround and to check for sufficient fuel load. While in the cockpit; I placed the flaps to position #1 for takeoff setting. This action rendered the left aileron lock; which both pilots missed on the preflight; ineffective. The fowler flap design on the do-228 moves the flaps first outward then downward making it possible for the flight controls to be free and correct with the control lock installed. After stepping out of the cockpit; I visually checked to see if the flight controls were free by moving the yoke. Due to the fact that there was no 'remove before flight' tag installed on the control lock; I still did not notice the control lock. We then loaded passenger and taxied out. We accomplished the before takeoff checks; took off and on climb out noticed that we were dragging the left aileron lock by the bungee cord that secures it to the airplane. Since the device had fallen out of its position on the wing; it caused no problems to the flight characteristics of the airplane. I called the tower; we returned and landed safely without incident. Maintenance immediately checked all of our company aircraft for 'remove before flight' tags on all pitot tubes; static ports; and control lock devices to prevent such an incident from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DO228 WAS BEING PREFLT CHKED. THE CAPT SELECTED FLAPS 1 DEG. IN DOING SO; RELEASED THE L AILERON GND LOCK THAT WAS INSTALLED WITH NO STREAMER.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT. I SHOWED UP FOR WORK; MY FO HAD ALREADY COMPLETED PREFLT OF OUR AIRPLANE. I WENT OUT TO DO A WALKAROUND AND TO CHK FOR SUFFICIENT FUEL LOAD. WHILE IN THE COCKPIT; I PLACED THE FLAPS TO POS #1 FOR TKOF SETTING. THIS ACTION RENDERED THE L AILERON LOCK; WHICH BOTH PLTS MISSED ON THE PREFLT; INEFFECTIVE. THE FOWLER FLAP DESIGN ON THE DO-228 MOVES THE FLAPS FIRST OUTWARD THEN DOWNWARD MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THE FLT CTLS TO BE FREE AND CORRECT WITH THE CTL LOCK INSTALLED. AFTER STEPPING OUT OF THE COCKPIT; I VISUALLY CHKED TO SEE IF THE FLT CTLS WERE FREE BY MOVING THE YOKE. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO 'REMOVE BEFORE FLT' TAG INSTALLED ON THE CTL LOCK; I STILL DID NOT NOTICE THE CTL LOCK. WE THEN LOADED PAX AND TAXIED OUT. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKS; TOOK OFF AND ON CLBOUT NOTICED THAT WE WERE DRAGGING THE L AILERON LOCK BY THE BUNGEE CORD THAT SECURES IT TO THE AIRPLANE. SINCE THE DEVICE HAD FALLEN OUT OF ITS POS ON THE WING; IT CAUSED NO PROBS TO THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRPLANE. I CALLED THE TWR; WE RETURNED AND LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINT IMMEDIATELY CHKED ALL OF OUR COMPANY ACFT FOR 'REMOVE BEFORE FLT' TAGS ON ALL PITOT TUBES; STATIC PORTS; AND CTL LOCK DEVICES TO PREVENT SUCH AN INCIDENT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.