1999-12 · NASA ASRS report 458644
A UNITED STATES GOV PLT DEPARTED FROM DWH IN A C182RG WITH THE TOW BAR STILL ATTACHED.
LATE AFTERNOON I WAS PERFORMING TKOFS AND LNDGS AT DAVID WAYNE HOOKS ARPT; NW OF HOUSTON. I MADE SUCH UNTIL NIGHT FALL AND MADE 3 MORE FOR NIGHT CURRENCY. I THEN LANDED AND PARKED THE CESSNA SKYLANE RG IN FRONT OF THE HANGAR AND HAD SOME DINNER THERE. AFTERWARD; I WANTED TO FINISH SOME ADDITIONAL NIGHT TRAINING (SOLO) AND ENTERED THE SAME ACFT. I DID NOT CONDUCT A COMPLETE WALKAROUND/PREFLT FOR THIS SECOND NIGHT FLT. I ALSO DID NOT SEE THE 'TOW BAR' I HAD ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL WHEN I PARKED THE ACFT INITIALLY. WHEN I FIRST LANDED; I DID NOT INTEND TO FLY AGAIN; BUT LATER REALIZED I STILL NEEDED TO FLY APPROX .5 HRS FOR QUARTERLY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. I STARTED THE ENG; CALLED GND CTL; TAXIED AND RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC (FOLLOWING PRE TKOF CHKLIST; ATIS RPTS; ETC). UPON TKOF; I HEARD A 'THUMP' UNDER MY FEET AND INITIALLY THOUGHT I STRUCK AN OBJECT ON THE RWY. I LEFT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN; INFORMED TWR OF POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTION ON THE RWY AND REQUESTED LNDG CLRNC. I CAME AROUND AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO OUR HANGAR. NOTHING WAS FOUND ON THE RWY AFTER TWR CTLRS HAD ARPT MAINT CONDUCT A SAFETY INSPECTION. I CONDUCTED A CHK OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ACFT AND GEAR AREA AND FOUND NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB. A FURTHER CHK OF A ROADWAY; CLR OF MY DEP TXWY EXIT; REVEALED THE TOW BAR THAT HAD BEEN ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL. APPARENTLY; IT HAD REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE NOSEWHEEL UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE TXWY ; THEN IT CAME OFF. WHEN I HAD TAKEN OFF; THE TOW BAR PROBABLY TRAILED TO THE REAR OF THE NOSEWHEEL AND REMAINED THAT WAY UPON TOUCHDOWN. ACFT WAS INSPECTED BY FAA CERTIFIED REPAIR FACILITY; AND PUT ACFT ON JACKS AND SWUNG GEAR. NO DAMAGE NOTED; OR REPAIRS NECESSARY. ACFT FLOWN BY ME LATER WITHOUT INCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY MY LACK OF A THOROUGH PREDEP CHK OF THE ACFT LED TO THIS INCIDENT; WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE SERIOUS HAD I RETRACTED THE GEAR AND IT JAMMED. ONE CAN NEVER BECOME COMPLACENT AND NEGLECT TO CONDUCT ROUTINE ACFT CHKS; WITHOUT EVENTUALLY FACING SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. THIS WAS A REALITY CHK WHICH GOT MY ATTN.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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