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November 2nd, 2007, 02:07
| #1 |
| Air Traffic Controller  Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 161
 |  "Clear" and visually check.... Watching from my tower today I noticed an aircraft had parked in front of the hangar. As a visual habit, by looking at an airplane you can kind of tell if something's not right. The pilot's powered tow bar was not connected to the front gear, but 2-3 feet in front of it. I quickly pulled the binos to verify the situation. The aircrafte started up! We called operations immediately but couldn't get over there in time. the front blades had hit the tow bar, but luckily not the motor part. Someone's going to buy a new prop. Just goes to show that even if people aren't walking around, make sure your immediate surroundings are clear!
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November 2nd, 2007, 10:33
| #2 |
| Old Skool  Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CFI / CFII in PA
Posts: 2,572
|  Re: "Clear" and visually check.... second that.... too many students yell clear prop, looking inside the cockpit and then just crank...accidents waiting to happen |
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November 2nd, 2007, 17:21
| #3 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: May 2007 Location: Southaven, MS
Posts: 506
| Re: "Clear" and visually check.... Exactly the reason I do one final walk around before I climb in the cockpit. I have thought I was ready to go before and found I had not pulled the chocks on the nosewheel during that walk around. It is nice to know that there are some in ATC that are looking out for us. We might not say it enough, but we appreciate it. |
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November 2nd, 2007, 20:08
| #4 |
| Air Traffic Controller Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 161
| Re: "Clear" and visually check.... Great point. Do that one final orbit before belting up. It's easy to miss things during the preflight because at that point you're specifically looking for loose screws, cracks etc... the last orbit gives you an overall view of the situation. I usually try to get a good scan on aircraft taxiing to the rwy in front of the tower. Couple times there were seatbelts hangin out and even a manual tow bar hangin on the front for dear life!
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November 5th, 2007, 17:40
| #5 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 419
| Re: "Clear" and visually check.... how did it just start up? |
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November 5th, 2007, 21:31
| #6 |
| Air Traffic Controller Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 161
| Re: "Clear" and visually check.... well i meant the pilot started it up. sorry
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November 6th, 2007, 01:06
| #7 |
| Old Skool  Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Inside your OODA loop
Posts: 6,722
| Re: "Clear" and visually check.... Precisely why I never use a towbar... I keed! I keed! 
__________________ Commercial Pilot, ASEL/AMEL/IA Chief Pilot, aerial mapping company Mountain-qualified Search & Rescue/Disaster Relief Mission Pilot, Civil Air Patrol 850+ TT/25 ME B.S., Psychology, University of Utah |
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December 11th, 2007, 21:11
| #8 |
| Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: -
Posts: 129
| Re: "Clear" and visually check.... Yikes, that will be an expensive mistake. |
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Jason 
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