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.
First flight after aircraft maintenance performed. Aircraft run-up performed normally.
On climb out, a loud tapping was heard and suspected to come from the front of the Sundowner 23.
As this was the first flight since maintenance, it was suspected that something may be wrong with the engine, although power appeared normal.
A precautionary landing was requested (continue in pattern). The precautionary landing was successful, however touchdown was further down the runway than anticipated and the aircraft came to a stop in the grass a few feet past the end of the paved runway.
No injuries. No damage to the aircraft or anything on the ground.
Aircraft taxied back to the taxiway and inspected.
It was determined that an unused seat belt was hanging out the door creating the tapping sound as the metal end tapped against the fuselage in the windstream.
A run-up followed by a high speed taxi was performed with the aircraft operating normally. Aircraft returned to service.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 1902461
1963 at LBX in Piper Apache. Upon takeoff luggage door opens and sounds like a tornado! Our pilot, my father goes around , left traffic,luckily, lands and recloses the door plus gives it lots of test pulls and it seemed secure. We take off and it opens again so we land and taxi to fbo and mechanic who fixes the latch. We had two bowling balls in cases in the luggage bay as we would bowl at our destination, so left traffic (standard there) was welcomed since the door is on the right.
The worst for me was my shoe lace got stuck in the door after I closed it. Just enough shoe lace available to hold the left toe brake. But not enough to turn left. Sooooooo… as I struggled mentally with what beast under the panel had a hold of my foot, I shutdown and released my foot from captivity. Flight controls free and correct is now preceded by body parts free and correct.
Afrer spending $1500 to repaint the side of my plane due to a seatbelt handing out, i now check my belt and passenger belt everytime before departing!
On takeoff i heard the banging but was departing a very busy D airport and my home airport was 10 minutes away, so slowed down and flew home. A costly mistake.
Let’s hear it for that thorough preflight check!
Used to be a fairly common problem in Ross and Spartan C-150s used for student training. The instructor in the right seat would intentionally leave 1/2 the belt hanging out the door during run-up and then discuss pre-flighting the cabin interior with the surprised student after their reaction. Lessons learned through surprise tend to stay with folks. Of course this was over 50 years ago and before shoulder harnesses so it probably isn’t done anymore.
You must have known Augie.
Later when I was instructing I’d pop a do I r open just before rotation to decide is the student was ready to solo.
Has happened to me and many others. Keep unoccupied seat belts engaged
This happen all to often, amazing I think we all know this happening to someone we know! Maybe it should be marked better on the check list!
A few decades ago a lineman left the bright red t o bear on the airplane. The next morning the pilot took- off and retracted the gear on the ARROW. The prop didn’t get hit but the nose gear stuck solidly. Turned out the FAA INSPECTOR who came over to monitor was that pilot’s CFI years earlier. But all was well. The FBO bought the pilot a new firewall forward because the landing without a nose wheel destr o Ted the high time prop and engine..
Even if the FBO left that tow bar in place, there is no way they are at fault. Isn’t the whole point of this article to emphasize the pilot’s responsibility to do a a proper pre-flight before charging off into the wild?