20100120026229I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Columbia Ai LC42-550FG · Lake Elmo, MN · January 20, 2010

Date: January 20, 2010 · 12:15 local
Place: Lake Elmo, MN
Airport: Lake Elmo
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N646MB
Reported as: Columbia Ai LC42-550FG
Reported engine: Continental IO-550-N
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,748 total56 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Sequence of events:aircraft was being repositioned to another airport for maintenance. Aircraft preflight completed in hangar. Aircraft pulled out of hangar using towbar but was unable to pull it clear of the bi-fold door due to icy ramp. Pilot tried to close bifold door but was unable to clear the tail of aircraft and raised the door. Pilot then pushed aircraft forward using the outside step to clear the hangar door. Pilot then spent 5-8 minutes closing and securing hangar door. Pilot climbed into aircraft, forgetting the tow bar was still attached. Pilot departed and towbar fell off onto the runway about midfield. Pilot did not realize the towbar was still attached until maintenance department called.

As the FAA filed it

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS:AIRCRAFT WAS BEING REPOSITIONED TO ANOTHER AIRPORT FOR MAINTENANCE.AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT COMPLETED IN HANGAR.AIRCRAFT PULLED OUT OF HANGAR USING TOWBAR BUT WAS UNABLE TO PULL IT CLEAR OF THE BI-FOLD DOOR DUE TO ICY RAMP. PILOT TRIED TO CLOSE BIFOLD DOOR BUT WAS UNABLE TO CLEAR THE TAIL OF AIRCRAFT AND RAISED THE DOOR. PILOT THEN PUSHED AIRCRAFT FORWARD USING THE OUTSIDE STEP TO CLEAR THE HANGAR DOOR. PILOT THEN SPENT 5-8 MINUTES CLOSING AND SECURING HANGAR DOOR. PILOT CLIMBED INTO AIRCRAFT, FORGETTING THE TOW BAR WAS STILL ATTACHED. PILOT DEPARTED AND TOWBAR FELL OFF ONTO THE RUNWAY ABOUT MIDFIELD. PILOT DID NOT REALIZE THE TOWBAR WAS STILL ATTACHED UNTIL MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT CALLED.