Air carrier medium large transport had to abort takeoff account no airspeed indication.

Attributes
ACN	93786
Time
Date	198809
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	93786
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	93787
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I picked up aircraft to operate flight, lax to mry. After setting takeoff power, I noticed that my airspeed indicator was not moving and that the first officer's airspeed was increasing. The power was reduced to idle and the tower was advised that we were not going to takeoff and then cleared the runway at the mid field reverse high speed taxiway. Upon returning to the gate, it was discovered that there was a piece of masking tape tightly wrapped around the captain pitot tube. I asked the maintenance supervisor why they didn't use regular pitot covers. He said they didn't have any. I suggested that if masking tape was used in the future, it would be a good idea to leave a 3' length of tape dangling to serve as a streamer. Supplemental information from acn 93787. During initial walkaround starting day's flying, noticed flaps extended, plastic and tape on main landing gear. At completion, advised captain who called operations and found aircraft had been washed on ron and had not been thoroughly inspected before being signed off airworthy. Found masking tape wrapped tightly around captain's pitot probe cause of no airspeed indication. I missed the tape, even though I walked around the aircraft again during preflight after we found out about the wash.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG HAD TO ABORT TKOF ACCOUNT NO AIRSPEED INDICATION.

Narrative: I PICKED UP ACFT TO OPERATE FLT, LAX TO MRY. AFTER SETTING TKOF POWER, I NOTICED THAT MY AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS NOT MOVING AND THAT THE FO'S AIRSPEED WAS INCREASING. THE POWER WAS REDUCED TO IDLE AND THE TWR WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO TKOF AND THEN CLRED THE RWY AT THE MID FIELD REVERSE HIGH SPEED TXWY. UPON RETURNING TO THE GATE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A PIECE OF MASKING TAPE TIGHTLY WRAPPED AROUND THE CAPT PITOT TUBE. I ASKED THE MAINT SUPVR WHY THEY DIDN'T USE REGULAR PITOT COVERS. HE SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY. I SUGGESTED THAT IF MASKING TAPE WAS USED IN THE FUTURE, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO LEAVE A 3' LENGTH OF TAPE DANGLING TO SERVE AS A STREAMER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 93787. DURING INITIAL WALKAROUND STARTING DAY'S FLYING, NOTICED FLAPS EXTENDED, PLASTIC AND TAPE ON MAIN LNDG GEAR. AT COMPLETION, ADVISED CAPT WHO CALLED OPS AND FOUND ACFT HAD BEEN WASHED ON RON AND HAD NOT BEEN THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BEFORE BEING SIGNED OFF AIRWORTHY. FOUND MASKING TAPE WRAPPED TIGHTLY AROUND CAPT'S PITOT PROBE CAUSE OF NO AIRSPEED INDICATION. I MISSED THE TAPE, EVEN THOUGH I WALKED AROUND THE ACFT AGAIN DURING PREFLT AFTER WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE WASH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.