This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
During pre-flight, distraction led to failure to remove pitot tube cover.
Upon takeoff roll, noticed airspeed indicator not showing airspeed.
Approximately 1/2 down the runway, aborted takeoff.
After hard braking, realized that runway would be overshot. The Cirrus SR22 stopped approximately 10 feet past end of Runway XX.
No runway lights were hit. No damage occurred to either plane or runway lighting.
Informed Tower what transpired. Taxied to terminal ramp. Upon inspection, removed pitot tube cover, informed tower, and was given permission to taxi to active runway. Completed the flight without other incident.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1838532
I performed the pre-flight on the Cessna 150 and noticed a spider web in the pitot tube, so I walked to the hangar and the A&P asked me what was up. I told him about the web, so he grabs a piece of mechanic’s wire. I said, “Don’t you want a screwdriver as well?”
He said no, he could get it, as he bent the end into a hook. I had been taught by my instructor that this was never the proper way to clean a pitot tube. He inserted the hook and tried to tease out the web, but where was the spider? I told him the tube was clogged. He said no, he got it all. I looked at the ASI, and told him it wasn’t reading zero. He said it was always like that on this plane. I told him it wasn’t, with more back and forth.
I told him I would take it for one pattern flight to check it, but as a student pilot I probably shouldn’t have. I did know, however, having been taught by my instructor early on, how to recognise slow by sound, and how to fly without instruments, seat-of-the-pants.
About a third of the way into the takeoff roll (calm), the ASI was not moving. As the eager to fly 150 lifted off the runway, it was stuck at 40kts and grudgingly moving higher. On downwind, the ASI was stuck at 52kts. I landed without incident, probably better than I would have had the ASI been working, because I was ultra-focused.
I taxied over to the hanger, and shut down. When I got out, the A&P came over and said, “What now?”
My response: “Really?!”
Knowing the sites, smells and feel of an airplane are only gained by experience. I first flew my old C-150 without any ASI when my static port got blocked by a bug. I was an inexperienced pilot, but I knew when things got quiet I was flying too slow. When things got noisy I knew I was flying fast. I simply flew the plane Like I always had and things went quite well. Any pilot with experience should easily fly without an ASI. It should be a requirement for the PPL.
About 30 hours after I bought my first airplane, at less than 100 hours total, I managed to take off from my local airport with a bug (crawly thing) in my pitot-static tube. By the time I noticed I had left the ground. Fortunately, I didn’t panic. I contacted ATC and advised that my ASI wasn’t working and I wanted to return to the airport, and got clearance to fly right down wind and land. He asked if I wanted the emergency services which I declined. As it happens, my landing was one of my better ones at that time – possibly because I wasn’t looking at the ASI…
This was a salutary experience!. It taught me three things:-
1. CHECK THE ASI before you leave the ground!
2. In VFR conditions you can fly and land the airplane without a working ASI.
3. Determine an ‘abort point’ on any takeoff (the 80/50 rule makes sense)
Of course, many out there will be sagely nodding their heads and saying “He should have known all that before this happened”, and, of course, you are all correct. Ironically, I’d been watching some of Jason Schappert’s training videos and one thing that had struck me is his clearly announcing ‘Airspeed alive’ on takeoffs. At various points I’d had four instructors and I don’t remember any of them actually training me to do this.
I had the bug removed, and now as I push the throttle forward I check the ASI and say loudly and clearly “Airspeed Alive” every time. I also got a better pitot-static cover.
Why risk tearing up an airplane over an inop ASI? Just fly the airplane around the pattern, land, take off the cover and go again. If you can’t do this you’re inadequately trained. You should know what power/configuration/attitude gives what speed, if you don’t see above.
That’s why Cirrus pilots need a parachute!
Comment improvements: “Pilots need to ensure that ‘airspeed alive’ is early enough in the flow that the takeoff can be aborted.” “Each time you close the door to the aircraft, it’s important to ask yourself, ‘am I in a rush and is there there anything I might have missed in my preflight.'” (incidentally, I force myself to take a 30s pause, and often review the preflight checklist one last time to ensure I didn’t get distracted. This has led to me getting out to check the baggage door, test the stall warning, and (at least once), remove a cover. )
I would also point out that it’s not a bad thing to go up with an instructor and convince yourself that you can land a plane without an airspeed indicator. I didn’t try this until about 350 hours…it was both terrifying and, eventually, enlightening. one of the best landings I’d ever done.
A lot of pilots here with some glass panels and glass houses!
A lone pilot of a small airplane should have the discipline to absolutely narrowly focus on the business of safely flying the airplane. Careless inattention to details has cost many GA lives, both pilots and their trusting soul passengers.
I may know someone who may have continued a few x-country flights with a mud dauber blocked pitot.
Me too.
No airspeed indications on take off roll and finally at “….Approximately 1/2 down the runway, aborted takeoff.” How fast is an SR-22 going at halfway down ANY runway? Maybe the pilot thought the AS indicator would heal itself eventually. Or, maybe someone slept through Lesson One a long time ago.
My instructor long ago had me do touch and goes without airspeed indicator visible. Wonder what you other pilots think of this? Good training or unsafe?
Same for me. And it is good training for the following reasons:
One bug into the pitot and it stops working correctly. Now what do you do?
Your fuse blows (or breaker pops) for the pitot heat, and it gets clogged. Now what do you do?
You have a *ferry permit* for a bad/not working pitot / static system… So you can get it fixed (and your transponder probably can’t be set for altitude reporting).
Absolutely. I will not solo a student until we’ve done takeoffs and landings without the ASI (and we’ve already done all of the other maneuvers). And every time, it turned out to be some of the best landings. They really tune in to the feel of the airplane.
In a crew served plane verbal call outs are commonly…
Air speed alive followed by crosscheck. Then V1 then rotate.
Positive rate, gear up.
When solo at least think. n.nnnthose calls.
Quite right You’re Mr. Jim Macklin