WHEEL CHOCKS LEFT ON WING FELL OFF DURING TKOF AND STRUCK THE HORIZ STABILIZER MAKING A DENT IN LEADING EDGE.

Date: 1994-10 · Aircraft: PA-31 Navajo/Chieftan/Mojave/T1040

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|other-unspecified

Synopsis

WHEEL CHOCKS LEFT ON WING FELL OFF DURING TKOF AND STRUCK THE HORIZ STABILIZER MAKING A DENT IN LEADING EDGE.

Narrative

DURING A TKOF OUT OF MONTGOMERY FIELD SAN DIEGO I FELT A THUMP SHORTLY AFTER ROTATING AND CLBING OUT. I SUSPECTED A POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE AND DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE FROM THE COCKPIT. ALL ENG GAUGES WERE IN OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS SO I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO MY DEST; IMPERIAL; CA; AND INSPECT THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE THERE. WHEN I ARRIVED IN IMPERIAL I WAS APCHED BY 4 FAA INSPECTORS FROM SAN DIEGO ON A ROUTINE RAMP INSPECTION. THEY IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A DENT ON THE L HORIZ STABILIZER AND ASKED ME WHAT HAPPENED? I MENTIONED THAT I FELT A THUMP ON CLBOUT AND SUSPECTED A BIRD STRIKE. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE INSPECTORS STATED THAT THE DENT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A BIRD STRIKE; A SHARP CREASE. NO FEATHERS; ETC; AND I AGREED; BUT COULD NOT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE THAT COULD CAUSE THE DAMAGE DURING CLBOUT. AFTER THE INSPECTORS LEFT I STARTED TO TIE DOWN AND CHK THE ACFT AND COULD NOT FIND THE CHOCKS. THINKING BACK I OBVIOUSLY PULLED THE CHOCKS BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO TAXI OUT. MY HABIT IS TO BRING THE CHOCKS IN THE COCKPIT WITH ME SO THAT I CAN CHOCK THE PLANE QUICKER WHEN I GET OUT AND I USUALLY LEAVE THEM ON THE WING AS I CLB IN. JUDGING FROM THE DAMAGE IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE CHOCKS CAME OFF SOMETIME DURING TKOF AND DID THAT DAMAGE IF I HAD LEFT THEM ON THE WING. THE SURPRISING THING IS THAT I REALLY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THAT MANY DISTRS TO FORGET THE CHOCKS; IF THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE WHICH AT THIS POINT SEEMS TO BE MOST LIKELY. AFTER DISCUSSING IT WITH OUR CHIEF PLT WE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS A FAULTY HABIT PATTERN AND I LEAVE THE CHOCKS ONLY IN THE NOSE NOW IN THAT ACFT; A PA-31-310.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.