Who Else Has Left Bad "Stuff" Inside Their Cowlings?

[drdehave]

Confessions are currently being solicited...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jboNeHxUswo&t=93s

[designrs]

That’s why I always “work” with my mechanic; two sets of eyes, plus learning a lot, including the details.

[Warmi]

These days I always do the prop oil burp with the top cowling off - gives me enough time to visually inspect everything , even if only out of pure boredom , while turning the prop.

[3Dreaming]

I worked on a A36 Bonanza once that had landed with a failed electrical system. I found a 1/4" universal that had created a dead short of the battey to ground.

I have left fashlights in aircraft before. Once in the wing of a Piper Cherokee, and one behind the panel of a CT. Both times I remembered after the fact, and the flash lights were retrieved without incident.

[drdehave]

How about taking off with the Pitot cover still on? Is three times in 4,200 take-offs over the "norm?"

Should I think about hanging up the keys?

[Wm.Ince]

Should I think about hanging up the keys?

No.
Just make a conscience effort to be more careful. Perhaps a bit more methodical. Slow things down.
If that type of event repeats itself . . . then maybe reassess.

[drseti]

Over the past 40 years, I have accumulated quite a collection of very nice tools that other mechanics have left on top of my engines. Finders keepers!

[3Dreaming]

How about taking off with the Pitot cover still on? Is three times in 4,200 take-offs over the "norm?"

Should I think about hanging up the keys?

I say no, but you could change how you do things to make forgetting it less likely. My son's Glider instructor always does a walk around immediately before climbing in the glider. It is something he developed as a helicopter pilot after taking off with the skid dollies attached and losing one while flying over a school yard. With the glider club it has saved taking off with a tail dolly attacked which would have caused a tail heavy condition for the glider. I saw someone land a Cessna once with the tow bar still attached. A quick walk around would have prevents that, just like it could prevent taking off with the pitot cover on. You could also store the cover where you can see it from the pilot seat, and add "pitot cover removed" to the pre takeoff checklist. If you don't see the cover don't takeoff.

[Warmi]

How about taking off with the Pitot cover still on? Is three times in 4,200 take-offs over the "norm?"

Should I think about hanging up the keys?

Well if this is just 3 times across 4200 takeoffs then that’s not a big deal - if this is 3 times in the last 100 takeoffs - then I would do something like add an explicit step to the check list or something along these lines. I remember taking off once with 1 magneto off because I forgot to turn it on after the run up so I just added a check list item after run up to check for both magnetos being on - haven’t happened since.

[drseti]

I remember taking off once with 1 magneto off because I forgot to turn it on after the run up

In an aircraft with a standard rotary mag switch, this generally results from doing the mag check in the order that we were all taught: "Both, Left, Both, Right, Both." The error happens because it takes two clicks to go from the Right to the Both position. It's possible to turn the key clockwise, but not far enough to get back to Both, so you end up taking off on only the Left mag.

There is a simple solution. I teach my students to do the runup mag check in a different order: "Both, Right, Both, Left, Both." That way, after checking the second mag, it takes only one click to get back to Both. So, if the key moves at all, it's impossible to take off on one mag.

[Warmi]

I remember taking off once with 1 magneto off because I forgot to turn it on after the run up

In an aircraft with a standard rotary mag switch, this generally results from doing the mag check in the order "Both, Left, Both, Right, Both." That happens because it takes two clicks to go from the Right to the Both position. It's possible to turn the key clockwise, but not far enough to get back to Both, so you end up taking off on only the Left mag.

There is a simple solution. I teach my students to do the runup mag check in a different order: "Both, Right, Both, Left, Both." That way, after checking the second mag, it takes only one click to get back to Both. So, if the key moves at all, it's impossible to take off on one mag.

In my case it was just a simple omission/distraction - I don’t have any other excuse since my plane comes with individual magneto switches ( which I much prefer than the rotary switch )

B2D5FF0D-28C3-47A6-B641-0F18F9F31736.jpeg (54.92 KiB) Viewed 10402 times

[drseti]

my plane comes with individual magneto switches ( which I much prefer than the rotary switch )

So do I. The Sky Arrow I instruct in has individual switches. The SportStar, alas, does not (hence my Kobayashi Maru solution).

[Scooper]

Years ago my CFI and I decided to combine an overnight trip in my C172 from Oakland (KOAK) to Shelter Cove (0Q5) with a flight review. My CFI was a retired UAL 747-400 captain and a neighbor when I lived in San Francisco. During my preflight, I removed the oil filler cap and placed it on top of the battery box, then checked the oil with the dipstick and it was showing a little over six quarts. My CFI interrupted me to point out something, and when I returned to the preflight I closed the cowl oil filler access door without putting the filler cap back on.

We finished the preflight and departed for Shelter Cove. We were about halfway to the destination when I noticed a few streaks on the windshield and commented that we seemed to be smashing an unusual number of insects. After another few minutes it became pretty clear the streaks were engine oil, not bug guts. We were getting close to Shelter Cove and decided to continue the flight closely monitoring the oil pressure and temperature.

The landing was uneventful, but the fuselage belly aft of the firewall was covered with oil. It took two rolls of paper towels to clean up the mess, and two quarts of oil to replace what had been lost. Miraculously, the oil cap was still sitting on top of the battery box.

My CFI apologized for interrupting my preflight, but I told him that failing to replace the cap was clearly my fault in spite of the interruption. He then confessed he had committed similar goofs over his 20,000 hours of flying, and agreed it was a good lesson for me. He signed off my BFR.

Lesson learned: Never allow yourself to be interrupted in the middle of a critical task; tell the interrupter to wait a minute.

[Wm.Ince]

The biggest cause of errors in aviation (and probably most other industries) are distractions.
And it happens in every segment . . . airlines, military, as well as general aviation.

[ShawnM]

I painted my oil cap bright red and when I remove it I always put it up on top of the cowling so even if I close up the cowling or the oil door it's sitting there staring me in the face.

We're all human and make mistakes, it happens.