What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The passenger arrived at the aircraft approximately 30 minutes before the pilot-in-command (PIC). He had attached the tow bar to pull the aircraft out of the hangar. Once the aircraft was out of the hangar, there was an icy patch on the ramp surface so the passenger transitioned to behind the strut to push aircraft further away from the building, leavng the tow bar attached.
The PIC arrived at the aircraft and was told the preflight was complete. The PIC climbed into the left seat without performing a preflight inspection or walkaround of the aircraft. The passenger who brought the aircraft out of the hangar was in the right seat, and one passenger was in the back seat. The right seat passenger is a professional pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI), but was not giving instruction during this flight but was just an "extra set of eyes."
The PIC departed Merrill Field Airport (mri), runway 25, and felt an unusual vibration. The PIC asked for an immediate return to mri. Tower asked if any assistance was needed, to which the PIC replied "no." the aircraft was safely landed with no additional significant events.
The aircraft was taxied back to parking where it was discovered that the aircraft had taken off with the tow bar still attached. The back of the propeller had made contace with the front edge of the tow bar handle, just scraping paint from the tow bar and slightly bending the back side of all three propeller blades.
The passenger called the Anchorage flight standards district office (FSDO) first thing the following morning (March 28, 2014) and provided a statment of the events that are described above.
As the FAA filed it
THE PASSENGER ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC). HE HAD ATTACHED THE TOW BAR TO PULL THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE HANGAR. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS OUT OF THE HANGAR, THERE WAS AN ICY PATCH ON THE RAMP SURFACE SO THE PASSENGER TRANSITIONED TO BEHIND THE STRUT TO PUSH AIRCRAFT FURTHER AWAY FROM THE BUILDING, LEAVNG THE TOW BAR ATTACHED.
THE PIC ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS TOLD THE PREFLIGHT WAS COMPLETE. THE PIC CLIMBED INTO THE LEFT SEAT WITHOUT PERFORMING A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OR WALKAROUND OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PASSENGER WHO BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE HANGAR WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT, AND ONE PASSENGER WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. THE RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER IS A PROFESSIONAL PILOT AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), BUT WAS NOT GIVING INSTRUCTION DURING THIS FLIGHT BUT WAS JUST AN "EXTRA SET OF EYES."
THE PIC DEPARTED MERRILL FIELD AIRPORT (MRI), RUNWAY 25, AND FELT AN UNUSUAL VIBRATION. THE PIC ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO MRI. TOWER ASKED IF ANY ASSISTANCE WAS NEEDED, TO WHICH THE PIC REPLIED "NO." THE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFELY LANDED WITH NO ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT EVENTS.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIED BACK TO PARKING WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD TAKEN OFF WITH THE TOW BAR STILL ATTACHED. THE BACK OF THE PROPELLER HAD MADE CONTACE WITH THE FRONT EDGE OF THE TOW BAR HANDLE, JUST SCRAPING PAINT FROM THE TOW BAR AND SLIGHTLY BENDING THE BACK SIDE OF ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES.
THE PASSENGER CALLED THE ANCHORAGE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) FIRST THING THE FOLLOWING MORNING (MARCH 28, 2014) AND PROVIDED A STATMENT OF THE EVENTS THAT ARE DESCRIBED ABOVE.
Other reports on N6251K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.