TOWBAR LEFT ON C152 DURING TAXI RESULTS IN PROP STRIKE.

Narrative

THE PREVIOUS NIGHT; MY BOSS INFORMED ME THAT TWO OF OUR ACFT NEEDED TO BE TAXIED TO THE OTHER END OF THE ARPT FOR MAINT PURPOSES; BY XA00. MY ALARM CLOCK WAS IMPROPERLY SET; AND I WAS AWOKEN BY A PHONE CALL AT APPROX XB30. I IMMEDIATELY RUSHED TO WORK TO TAXI THE ACFT. IT HAD SNOWED THE NIGHT BEFORE; WHICH MADE PULLING THE C152 OUT OF THE HANGAR; USING A TOWBAR; DIFFICULT. A GENTLEMAN; WHO WAS WORKING ON ANOTHER PLANE IN THE HANGAR; OFFERED HIS ASSISTANCE. I SET THE TOWBAR DOWN AND MOVED TO THE STRUT TO PUSH THE ACFT. ONCE IT WAS OUT OF THE HANGAR; I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO CLOSE THE HANGAR DOOR BECAUSE THAT GENTLEMAN HAD COMMENTED THAT HE WAS LOSING ALL OF HIS HEAT. I THEN MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE SECRETARY TO COME PICK ME UP IN 10 MINS. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT; STARTED IT; OBTAINED MY TAXI CLRNC; AND PROCEEDED ON MY WAY. A MIN LATER; I HEARD A STRANGE SOUND; WHICH SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING HIT THE FUSELAGE. CONFUSED; I SLOWED TO A STOP; THEN REALIZED THAT I HAD NEVER REMOVED THE TOWBAR. I SHUT THE ENG DOWN; AND REMOVED THE TOWBAR; HOPING NO ONE HAD SEEN THIS. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE PLANE; GND CTL NOTIFIED ME THAT SOMEONE CALLED THEM TO WARN ME ABOUT THE TOWBAR. I INFORMED GND THAT I HAD JUST REMOVED IT. THE REST OF THE 'TAXI' PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENCE. ON THE DRIVE BACK TO OUR FBO; MY BOSS CALLED ME BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE TOWBAR. HE WAS FAIRLY UPSET AND ASKED IF THE PROP HAD HIT IT. THIS NEVER OCCURRED TO ME; BECAUSE I FIGURED THE NOISE I HEARD WAS THE SOUND OF THE TOWBAR HITTING A LIP IN THE PAVEMENT. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT TO INSPECT THE PROP. ONE OF THE BLADE TIPS WAS 'DINGED.' I SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN IN THE PLANE WITHOUT GIVING ONE FINAL LOOK-OVER; AFTER LEAVING IT UNATTENDED. ALSO; THAT MORNING'S 'MISSION' MAY HAVE CAUSED ME TO BE COMPLACENT; SINCE I WAS 'JUST' TAXIING THE ACFT.