LARGE CARGO FLT CREW ABORTS ITS TKOF WHEN NO AIRSPD NOTED AFTER ENGS TRIMMED FOR TKOF AT FAT; CA.
Synopsis
LARGE CARGO FLT CREW ABORTS ITS TKOF WHEN NO AIRSPD NOTED AFTER ENGS TRIMMED FOR TKOF AT FAT; CA.
Narrative
DURING THE TKOF ROLL; MY FO DID NOT MAKE THE NORMAL 80 KT CALLOUT. AT ABOUT WHEN I THOUGHT SHE SHOULD; I QUESTIONED HER AND LOOKED DOWN TO DISCERN NO AIRSPD INDICATION; SO I REJECTED THE TKOF AND NOTIFIED THE TWR; AT WHICH TIME THEY SAID MY COMPANY HAD CALLED AND SAID THE PITOT TUBE COVERS WERE STILL ON THE ACFT. DURING TAXI IN; THE TWR LOOKED WITH BINOCULARS BUT COULD NOT SEE ANY COVERS. AFTER BLOCK IN; THE AFTERNOON MECH FOUND ALL 4 OF THE WRONG COVERS ON THE PLANE. THE CORRECT COVERS SHOULD HAVE HAD RED STREAMERS SAYING 'REMOVE BEFORE FLT.' HE SPOTTED THEM DURING TAXI OUT. THE MORNING MECH HAD PUT THESE OTHER COVERS ON AND NOBODY COULD SEE THEM; AS THEY WERE QUITE HIGH UP ON THE ACFT. THEY WERE ALSO VERY SMALL AND BEIGE COLORED; AND JUST BLENDED IN. AT THIS ARPT; MY COMPANY USES CONTRACT MAINT THAT IS NOT TRAINED BY US LIKE OUR COMPANY MECHS ARE AND MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE USED. A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP IS REQUIRED BY OUR MECHS WHEN PITOT TUBE COVERS ARE PUT ON OR TAKEN OFF. I HAVE BEEN TO THIS ARPT MANY TIMES AND WAS NEVER AWARE THAT COVERS WERE EVER INSTALLED. I HAVE WRITTEN A STRONG LETTER TO MY COMPANY TO TRY TO GET OUR OWN MAINT HERE. THEY ARE DOING A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.