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  #1  
Old 06-24-2013, 05:18 PM
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N546RV N546RV is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brookshire, TX
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Default My dumb story, and the danger of breaking your routine

When I say "routine," I mean in terms of things like checklists, preflights, etc.

This past Saturday, I reserved my favorite spam can (an Archer) for a couple hours of general rust removal. I'm flying into OSH for the first time this year, and I'm being very conservative about the whole experience, including making sure I'm comfortable with the airplane.

As always, my first stop upon arriving was to check the aircraft squawk book. I noted that someone had complained of trouble closing the door a couple days prior; nothing else recent though. I strolled out to the ramp, where I completed an uneventful preflight. OK, time to get going. Once in the plane, I pulled the door shut...yep, it was definitely difficult to close. After a bit of finagling, I got the main latch secured, but the top latch would not catch no matter what I tried.

I hopped out and took a look at the catch...it certainly looked out of place to me. Looking down from overhead, I could see that the latch hook was not about to grab the catch. Harumph. OK, no flying for me today. I proceeded to round up all my gear, tie the plane down and rechock it, then headed back inside. One of the flight school guys was still sitting inside. When I described the problem, he said, "Oh, Pipers do that all the time. I'll show you how to take care of it." Sure enough, we walked out and with some thumb pressure, he rotated the catch back into place.

Well, that was easy. After thanking him, I climbed back in and set about breaking my gear out again, then I got in place, shut the door, ran the prestart checklist, and fired her up. Check ATIS, sounds good, OK, time to call ground. For some reason I can't explain, I waited a second. Something didn't feel right.

Suddenly it occurred to me. I didn't remove the tiedowns and chocks.

*sigh*

Shutdown, hop out sheepishly (of course this has to be in sight of the airport restaurant's patio, the kid's park, and the observation area), remove tiedowns and chocks, OK, now to really aviate.

Should I have run a complete preflight again after coming back out? Probably not. But I should have done some kind of a quick walkaround before just hopping in, during which time the tiedown situation would have been pretty obvious. My mind, however, was in the mode of "I already preflighted, the problem is fixed, go fly."

In the grand scheme of things, this is fairly mundane. Pretty much the worst-case scenario would have been me calling ground, getting taxi instructions, trying to ease the plane forward, and rapidly realizing my mistake, prior to having to admit my idiocy over the radio. But it's a good illustration, I think, of the brain perceiving what it expects, and unexpected things happening.

Luckily, this time, it was just a little embarrassing.
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  #2  
Old 06-24-2013, 05:46 PM
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ColoRv ColoRv is offline
 
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Default

I've never done anything like that.

Well, not recently.

Well, not that anyone can PROVE!

:-) Nothing bent, not a problem. The truth is we all have the occasional...moment. Moments don't require a written explanation (though you were kind enough to give us one anyway), aren't subject to any FAA investigation and don't ding your insurance rates. Even better news is that most of us would still fly with or around you even though you committed the grievous error of not being perfect. Next time..see if you can pull the tie downs out of the ground before realizing the error. Then we can at least make fun of you.

Cheers man, I hope the flight was enjoyable!
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  #3  
Old 06-24-2013, 05:49 PM
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blueflyer blueflyer is offline
 
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I have seen a few 172's flying (and landing!) with the towbar still attached, so your brief oversight isn't so bad in my view. And I should add that I too have allowed myself to commit to same oversight as you. Its always good to be reminded what can happen if you get too comfortable, relaxed or out of practice.

Last edited by blueflyer : 06-24-2013 at 06:03 PM.
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  #4  
Old 06-24-2013, 05:55 PM
Sig600 Sig600 is offline
 
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Default

There's a lesson to be learned here no matter what you fly, habit patterns are a powerful tool, but like anything else only if you use them.

From preflight, to shut down, if I get interrupted for any length of time during some phase/checklist/flow etc., if there is any doubt whatsoever about where I left off, I start over.

Thanks to the OP for posting. This lesson is applicable in so many more ways than just a little ramp embarrassment.

Oh and a C-152 can jump a set of 2x4 chocks, or so I've heard
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  #5  
Old 06-24-2013, 06:19 PM
Clarkie Clarkie is offline
 
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Location: Huntersviile, NC
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Years ago, when I was just starting out and didn't hear comments like, "your hair sure is getting thin back there," I flew a Piper Archer into a small airport in NH next to a golf course to visit my girlfriend (now wife) and her family. I was thinking I was pretty cool (still do) and did a low pass down the strip for the neighboring golfers and then peeled off to land and shut down. As I taxied to the transient area, I remember seeing a foursome watching me arrive and park. Doing my best to look cool, I shut the airplane down, grabbed by Tom Cruise Ray Ban's (told ya it was long ago), tied it down and proceeded to walk past the 15th tee box to find my ride. As I walked by, some old timer says to me,

Him: "Hey kid, that was some neat flying there."

Me: "Thanks Man"

Him: "Where you heading?"

Me: "Uh, inside the clubhouse to find my girlfriend."

Him: "You in a hurry?"

Me: "No, why?"

Him: "Just wondering. Are all those bright lights on the airplane supposed to be blinking like that with no one in it?"

Me: "Wha....? ****."

There goes the cool factor as I do the walk of shame past the foursome back to the airplane to shut off the strobes, the beacon, and the master switch. Doh!
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Last edited by Clarkie : 06-24-2013 at 06:28 PM.
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  #6  
Old 06-24-2013, 06:27 PM
Steve Barnes Steve Barnes is offline
 
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Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 580
Default How about this one!

A friend of mine many years ago was driving a car down a simi rural road and something caught his eye. It was an object floating down from the sky. He pulled over and picked it up from the side of the road. It was an airplane canopy cover. It had an N Number embroidered on it too. I believe it was from a Cherokee.

Steve
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  #7  
Old 06-24-2013, 06:31 PM
Clarkie Clarkie is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Barnes View Post
I believe it was from a Cherokee.

Steve
Was it in NH????
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  #8  
Old 06-24-2013, 08:31 PM
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airguy airguy is offline
 
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Many more of us have done something similar than will admit it.

I've cranked (once) with the chocks in place.

I've cranked (once) with the pitot cover in place.

I've gotten belted up and ready to crank (once) with the oil fill door open.

So far, I've never taxied without catching it, maybe because I final-check my checklist just prior to taxi.
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  #9  
Old 06-24-2013, 08:34 PM
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N546RV N546RV is offline
 
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It's really unfortunate that the ramp where my rentals live is literally right under the airport restaurant patio. There's always a good audience if you do something dumb.

(If you sensed another story coming, you win the Christmas turkey!)

This ramp is situated parallel to a taxiway; the aircraft are also lined up parallel to the taxiway, in two rows. I'm parked in the front row. (towards the taxiway) Unless there are a serendipitous number of aircraft out flying on a particular day, it's necessary for me to taxi to my spot, turn away from it, then push the plane back into its spot after shutting down.

I've done this plenty of times, and never have I had any issues. Except for this one day...as usual, I taxi up, turn the plane so it's not angled too much off the spot, shut down, take off my headset, unbelt, and open the door. As I climb out on the wing (probably imagining small children and attractive ladies watching The Pilot), something feels...off.

Oh. That's because the plane is slowly rolling forward towards the taxiway. EEEEEK! Seems I found the one non-level part of this particular ramp. My coolness destroyed, I clamber back into the plane (anyone who's flown a Cherokee knows there's no graceful way to enter the plane in the best of circumstances) and stand on the right-seat brakes.

Now what? Maybe I'm back on a level spot. Brakes off...she starts rolling again. ****.

I ended up setting the parking brake, grabbing the travel chocks out of the baggage compartment, chocking the nosewheel, climing back in and disengaging the parking brake, then pushing back with the tow bar while kicking the chocks along so as not to leave them out in the open where they might be a hazard.

All under the watchful eye of the restaurant patrons.

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  #10  
Old 06-25-2013, 07:04 AM
IFlySlow IFlySlow is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Reading, PA
Posts: 59
Default Saw a Mooney pilot do something similar on Sunday...

Was in the car with the wife getting ready to leave when I noticed someone in a Mooney just starting up, although they were still tied down on the right wing. Couldn't tell if the left wing was also tied down, and was too far away to get there in time or be heard, so I turned to the wife and said, "This should be interesting." Out of the corner of my eye I see another fellow running down the hill from the parking lot toward the Mooney yelling and waving his arms, but he couldn't get their attention. Sure enough, the poor fellow with the backwards tail idles for a few seconds and then gooses her to get her rolling. Although only the right wing [i]was[i] tied down, fortunately he didn't go very far, and no harm was done, except to his pride as he had to shut down and do the disembarkation of shame to untie himself.

And yes, I've started up (in a Cessna no less!) with the pilot-side chock in place <sigh>...why does this NEVER happen when nobody's looking?
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