Towbars

[Big Pistons Forever]

I was just reading a summary from the UK CHIRP (Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Program) system. One of them involved a single retractable which took off with the tow bar still hanging from the nosewheel. When the gear was retracted things got ugly and the aircraft ended up landing sans nose wheel.

This caused a flash back to a personal very near miss involving a forgotten towbar on a Bonanza many years ago. Literally one second before I activated the starter a passerby shouted and stopped me . The tow bar was in the path of the prop and had I engaged the starter it would have been very very expensive .

Ever since then I have been religous about never leaving a towbar attached unless I was holding it and I tell my students to get in the habit of, before turning the key, to ask your themselves if they are sure the towbar has been removed.

[trampbike]

Good point! I never leave a towbar attached, but I never really thought about it either, so I'll try to keep this in mind. It's easy to be distracted during this part of the flight preparation.

Thanks.
As you own a little AA1, I guess you use a towbar a lot!

[FlyGy]

This seems appropriate for the topic.

[Adam Oke]

I think the exact same can be said with a number of things. Chocks, tie downs, cowl plugs, control locks, pitot covers etc. are just a few things that come to mind. Some are easier to forget than other. Also, some are much more detrimental than others!

Back as a student pilot, I had fired up with the chocks still in place. The aircraft were always parked on the ramp, which of course had a slight slope. So much that it would be wise to leave the chocks in place until you are ready to jump in. After a mild slip in common sense to remove the chocks, I did in fact have enough common sense to realize that something was up when I it was requiring additional rpm to proceed DOWN a slope. ..... SO thankfully, my instructor hopped out and removed my chocks for me. Double faux pas looking back I now do a quick once over glance at everything for any abnormalities prior to jumping in after I have done my walk around. 2nd point to draw from that, if it seems out of the ordinary -- it more than likely is! eg. "Hmm, It usually takes 1000rpm to taxi vs 1400 and I'm still not moving!"

Just remember if you require additional RPM for take off, check for the cement tire tied to the tail. If you required additional RPM to taxi back to the ramp ... check your gear

[Taco Joe]

Back as a student pilot, I had fired up with the chocks still in place. The aircraft were always parked on the ramp, which of course had a slight slope. So much that it would be wise to leave the chocks in place until you are ready to jump in. After a mild slip in common sense to remove the chocks, I did in fact have enough common sense to realize that something was up when I it was requiring additional rpm to proceed DOWN a slope. ..... SO thankfully, my instructor hopped out and removed my chocks for me. Double faux pas looking back I now do a quick once over glance at everything for any abnormalities prior to jumping in after I have done my walk around. 2nd point to draw from that, if it seems out of the ordinary -- it more than likely is! eg. "Hmm, It usually takes 1000rpm to taxi vs 1400 and I'm still not moving!"

You should have just manned up and powered over it like a real pilot.

[sidestick stirrer]

I did that on my multi-engine checkride.
Five aspiring students presented themselves to a Transport Canada inspector who had planned to spend the day at Langley's little airport doing checkrides.
He asked a lot of difficult questions during the orals which resulted in my being the only one who got as far as the actual airplane, more due to luck and my nightshift job as an apprentice AME than any actual skill.
After the most-thorough preflight the airplane had ever had, I prepared to mount the right wing of the 150-horsepower Apache( you know the one, where all the numbers on the Single-Engine Climb Performance chart were preceded by minus signs) when the inspector took pity on my bloodshot eyes and calmly asked me how much power did I think it was going to take to taxi away from the tiedown spot.
I knew exactly what he meant and ran and untied the tail.
We both had a good laugh at my nervousness and the rest of the ride went much better.

[robshelle]

I was working YZF tower many, many, many years ago. Canadian North was backtracking to line up for a 33 departure, and we had Buffalo Joe's Chief Pilot going out for a DC3 check ride with Transport(at least that is what I was told). The DC3 just took off from runway 09 when the Canadain North pilots, who were now lined up for 33, advised the DC3 that their stairs at the back door were still attached. Needless to say, the plane returned for landing and did not depart for the check flight again until the next day. Oops.

Robbie Benusic
CYEG Tower

[andy_mtl]

where i trained in montreal for my cpl, it happened once with a instructor and once a student solo to start taxing with a bucket of ciment still attached as tie down on the tail!
it was only once lined up that someone on the radio had made comment to them.
at least that s what my instructor had told me.

priceless COG with a 50lbs wieght hanging with a rope behind you tail!!

[.Ben]

This seems appropriate for the topic.

id prefer not to be clocked on the head by a towbar that has just completed its descent from 7500 AGL

[Old Dog Flying]

There was a privately owned C172 that was able to fly a full circuit and land safely with a 5 gallon bucket of cement still attached.

The tow bar caper reminds me of one of our regular renters who flew our Twin Comanche quite frequently. We would park the aircraft near the hangar doors with the BIG towbar attached and the tractor beside the nose. Bozo managed to get to the runup area with the BIG towbar still attached.

Same guy..we could never figure out how ALL of our aircraft had dings in the wings and rudders. Super pilot in a hurry as usual would fire up the Twin IN THE HANGAR and you can figure out how the dings got there.

After I caught him at his favourite practice he was told to go buy his own aircraft. The Twin Comanche that he bought was turbo'd but he knew it all and within 10 hrs blew the engine...and never bothered to declare an emergency.

YQR was an interesting place to say the least...right Prairie Chicken!

[oleo]

5 Gallon bucket attached to the tail?!?! or the wing?

[Nark]

I don't normally swear in my day to day life, however this case was an exception.
Waiting for my student to finish preflighting, I came around the front and leaned on the prop. Something didn't feel right...




This is the not-so-funny side/expensive side of forgetting a towbar.

This was a club airplane, and it's an honor system as far as keys/books/etc... Since this was the first flight of the day (and last) it was discovered the moron the day before left the tow bar in, put her to bed and just walked away. Didn't bother telling anyone.