Narrative:

While preparing for a flight; I pulled the aircraft out of the hangar; did a normal preflight; then noticed I needed to move the aircraft slightly to allow me to pull my car into the hangar. After pulling the car into the hangar and shutting the door; I received a phone call from my passenger. They had dialed my phone accidentally trying to reach someone else. I turned my phone off to avoid further distrs. I then walked around the aircraft. Not noticing anything amiss; I entered; strapped in; and began the engine start procedures. During turnover there was a thunk; but then the engine started right up. I had been having problems starting this aircraft the past two times I flew it; so I thought it was the starter 'jumping back' as the engine started. I had heard similar; but quieter sounds before that were the starter. I checked all engine instruments; and ran the motor up several times. I noticed no roughness or anything amiss. So I called for taxi information and departure clearance. After receiving my clrncs; I taxied to the end of the runway. I did another very thorough run-up (due to my concern about the noise). Again; everything looked fine. So; I took off. During the flight; I noticed no performance issues or additional sounds. The flight went very well; and aircraft performance seemed very good. I landed at my destination and taxied to the FBO. That was when line personnel called my attention to the tow bar. It was hanging from one connector; and jammed back against the wheel cover of the gear (a fortunate occurrence). Upon inspection by myself; the line person; and the maintenance manager at my destination; we found what appeared to be a minor scratch on one blade of the propeller. Based on the small size of the scratch it was judged that the strike was very minor and that the aircraft could be flown home. It was. At home; I noticed in addition to the scratch on the propeller there was a scratch on the pilot side cowling where the tow bar had hit as it was flung out of the propeller's way. Otherwise there was no noticeable damage to the aircraft. And again; there was no noticeable performance degradation on the way home. Having discovered the tow bar; I was looking for things that might be wrong. Human performance considerations: first; I rarely put my car in the hangar. I usually park along the side. However; because I was not certain of my return time; I thought it might be prudent to park it inside out of any possible WX. To do this; I needed to move the aircraft. I reattached the tow bar to do so; another action not normally part of my routine. Second; after my preflight; I was distraction by the phone call and focused on the phone. I should have taken time to more carefully check the aircraft. Obviously my walkaround was not sufficient. Third; after hearing the thump; I should not have assumed it was the starter. I should have stopped the engine and investigated further. The strike would still have occurred; but the flight would not have. Fourth; I am going to try and make the tow bar more obvious. Right now; it is painted the same color as the underside of the aircraft. While this does not excuse the lack of attention; a brightly colored tow bar would have been harder to miss on the final walkaround. Finally; upon returning home; I was informed by a friend that there should have been a more thorough inspection of the engine and propeller before flying again. Unless the maintenance officer was an a&P; he was not qualified to help me make the decision of airworthiness. It was fortunate there was not further occurrence. I am not sure of the solution for this issue. However; to keep others from making the same mistakes as I; it might be prudent to issue or reissue a circular regarding what steps to take should a propeller strike (of any kind) occur; what to look for and how to judge the seriousness of the damage. What I have been able to find did not seem to cover situations like this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 WAS FLOWN WITH THE TOW BAR ATTACHED RESULTING IN PROP AND COWLING DAMAGE.

Narrative: WHILE PREPARING FOR A FLT; I PULLED THE ACFT OUT OF THE HANGAR; DID A NORMAL PREFLT; THEN NOTICED I NEEDED TO MOVE THE ACFT SLIGHTLY TO ALLOW ME TO PULL MY CAR INTO THE HANGAR. AFTER PULLING THE CAR INTO THE HANGAR AND SHUTTING THE DOOR; I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM MY PAX. THEY HAD DIALED MY PHONE ACCIDENTALLY TRYING TO REACH SOMEONE ELSE. I TURNED MY PHONE OFF TO AVOID FURTHER DISTRS. I THEN WALKED AROUND THE ACFT. NOT NOTICING ANYTHING AMISS; I ENTERED; STRAPPED IN; AND BEGAN THE ENG START PROCS. DURING TURNOVER THERE WAS A THUNK; BUT THEN THE ENG STARTED RIGHT UP. I HAD BEEN HAVING PROBS STARTING THIS ACFT THE PAST TWO TIMES I FLEW IT; SO I THOUGHT IT WAS THE STARTER 'JUMPING BACK' AS THE ENG STARTED. I HAD HEARD SIMILAR; BUT QUIETER SOUNDS BEFORE THAT WERE THE STARTER. I CHKED ALL ENG INSTS; AND RAN THE MOTOR UP SEVERAL TIMES. I NOTICED NO ROUGHNESS OR ANYTHING AMISS. SO I CALLED FOR TAXI INFO AND DEP CLRNC. AFTER RECEIVING MY CLRNCS; I TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY. I DID ANOTHER VERY THOROUGH RUN-UP (DUE TO MY CONCERN ABOUT THE NOISE). AGAIN; EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. SO; I TOOK OFF. DURING THE FLT; I NOTICED NO PERFORMANCE ISSUES OR ADDITIONAL SOUNDS. THE FLT WENT VERY WELL; AND ACFT PERFORMANCE SEEMED VERY GOOD. I LANDED AT MY DEST AND TAXIED TO THE FBO. THAT WAS WHEN LINE PERSONNEL CALLED MY ATTN TO THE TOW BAR. IT WAS HANGING FROM ONE CONNECTOR; AND JAMMED BACK AGAINST THE WHEEL COVER OF THE GEAR (A FORTUNATE OCCURRENCE). UPON INSPECTION BY MYSELF; THE LINE PERSON; AND THE MAINT MGR AT MY DEST; WE FOUND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A MINOR SCRATCH ON ONE BLADE OF THE PROP. BASED ON THE SMALL SIZE OF THE SCRATCH IT WAS JUDGED THAT THE STRIKE WAS VERY MINOR AND THAT THE ACFT COULD BE FLOWN HOME. IT WAS. AT HOME; I NOTICED IN ADDITION TO THE SCRATCH ON THE PROP THERE WAS A SCRATCH ON THE PLT SIDE COWLING WHERE THE TOW BAR HAD HIT AS IT WAS FLUNG OUT OF THE PROP'S WAY. OTHERWISE THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. AND AGAIN; THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION ON THE WAY HOME. HAVING DISCOVERED THE TOW BAR; I WAS LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT MIGHT BE WRONG. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: FIRST; I RARELY PUT MY CAR IN THE HANGAR. I USUALLY PARK ALONG THE SIDE. HOWEVER; BECAUSE I WAS NOT CERTAIN OF MY RETURN TIME; I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE PRUDENT TO PARK IT INSIDE OUT OF ANY POSSIBLE WX. TO DO THIS; I NEEDED TO MOVE THE ACFT. I REATTACHED THE TOW BAR TO DO SO; ANOTHER ACTION NOT NORMALLY PART OF MY ROUTINE. SECOND; AFTER MY PREFLT; I WAS DISTR BY THE PHONE CALL AND FOCUSED ON THE PHONE. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN TIME TO MORE CAREFULLY CHK THE ACFT. OBVIOUSLY MY WALKAROUND WAS NOT SUFFICIENT. THIRD; AFTER HEARING THE THUMP; I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED IT WAS THE STARTER. I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE ENG AND INVESTIGATED FURTHER. THE STRIKE WOULD STILL HAVE OCCURRED; BUT THE FLT WOULD NOT HAVE. FOURTH; I AM GOING TO TRY AND MAKE THE TOW BAR MORE OBVIOUS. RIGHT NOW; IT IS PAINTED THE SAME COLOR AS THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ACFT. WHILE THIS DOES NOT EXCUSE THE LACK OF ATTN; A BRIGHTLY COLORED TOW BAR WOULD HAVE BEEN HARDER TO MISS ON THE FINAL WALKAROUND. FINALLY; UPON RETURNING HOME; I WAS INFORMED BY A FRIEND THAT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE ENG AND PROP BEFORE FLYING AGAIN. UNLESS THE MAINT OFFICER WAS AN A&P; HE WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO HELP ME MAKE THE DECISION OF AIRWORTHINESS. IT WAS FORTUNATE THERE WAS NOT FURTHER OCCURRENCE. I AM NOT SURE OF THE SOLUTION FOR THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER; TO KEEP OTHERS FROM MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES AS I; IT MIGHT BE PRUDENT TO ISSUE OR REISSUE A CIRCULAR REGARDING WHAT STEPS TO TAKE SHOULD A PROP STRIKE (OF ANY KIND) OCCUR; WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND HOW TO JUDGE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE DAMAGE. WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND DID NOT SEEM TO COVER SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.

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.