I went to this FAA WINGS seminar the other night, and the topic was "How to do a better preflight." The two instructors intentionally added about 30 squawks to this old 172, and had us walk around and find them.

One in particular was a loose oil dipstick/filler cap, and they discussed an accident that occurred from a similar oversight. It made me recall the time my good buddy was interrupted during his preflight while adding oil and left the oil filler cap off for the flight. When he arrived at his destination 20 minutes later, he had a nice layer of corrosion protection on his firewall.

Now, make no mistake, this wasn't me. It was my good buddy.

We talked about those "good buddies" last night at the AOPA Safety Seminar. Everyone there had some "good buddy" stories too. " I knew this one guy who..."

Great info,
Any other pre flight ideas that caught your attention?

I have a good buddy that took off for a test flight in his experimental airplane and heard a thumping sound on the climb out. He looked around to see if he could find the source and saw his seat belt was not buckled and was hanging out the door.

He then made a written take-off check list and taped it to the panel.

Heard a story about a guy that took off in his twin barron with the motorized tug still on the nose wheel! (Now we all know this could not of been me as I cannot afford to be flying a twin)

As the story goes, he did some "maneuvers" and shook the thing off after being raised on the radio and informed of his mistake.

I had to ask really? and was told it was a true stroy

....HEY!, I once knew this guy who tried to taxi with the towbar still attached....

..wasn't me, I don't fly twins!

So, where was the oil filler cap?

I vividly recall the time I popped open my cowl during a preflight and immediately saw the oil filler cap was missing. I looked over at the battery box, and there it was, sitting right on top where it had been left. The amazing part is that it had stayed there for a 250 mile flight! Those O-300 Continetals are sure smooth, a Lyc would have vibrated it away for sure!

Oh, and it wasn't me, it was my good buddy!

kevbert.

Hey, me too with a 172 O300. Amazing.

kevbert wrote:So, where was the oil filler cap?

I vividly recall the time I popped open my cowl during a preflight and immediately saw the oil filler cap was missing. I looked over at the battery box, and there it was, sitting right on top where it had been left. The amazing part is that it had stayed there for a 250 mile flight! Those O-300 Continetals are sure smooth, a Lyc would have vibrated it away for sure!

Oh, and it wasn't me, it was my good buddy!

I have seen coffee cups go code 3 on the fire engine to the run, then back to the station and not hardly spill a drop.

When I was getting my PPL my instructor said he would help and check the oil. He must of got distracted because as we are taxing out the dang thing comes blowing up over the wind screen.

20 years ago...

...enroute from STL to SEA in an MD-80, along about Devil's Tower....we get a radio call from our dispatcher in NYC. "Hey Bob....what's your oil level indication in the right engine?"
"Uh..Hmmm....bout 8 quarts." "That's a bit low." "Yeah" says the dispatcher. "That's about where the maintenence manual says it will stop siphoning out." "The mechanic found your right engine oil cap laying on his work bench, where he left it after checking the oil." "O.K." I said. "We'll continue on and watch the oil level."

In Seattle Alaska Airlines loaned us a new oil cap and we continued on our flight to Anchorage. Not me....not my buddy. But a true story. Even the pros screw up once in a while.

Bob

p.s. I did have a buddy who once left the oil cap off of his Pitts. Upon rolling inverted he dumped about a gallon and half of oil onto a hot engine. Oil smeared the windscreen, slid down the side of the fuselage and smoke filled the "open" cockpit. Thinking he was on fire his first thought was...."why didn't I wear my parachute"? Grateful to be right above the airport he idled the power and side slipped to the runway. He got her back on the ground with 2 quarts remaining in the engine. Darned if I can remember his name!?!

hicountry wrote:....HEY!, I once knew this guy who tried to taxi with the towbar still attached....

..wasn't me, I don't fly twins!

I saw a guy at Caldwell taxi his 182 with the towbar attached . Good thing it didn't pop up and get into the prop before he parked it!! He said he forgot about it .

kevbert wrote:So, where was the oil filler cap?

...

Oh, and it wasn't me, it was my good buddy!

Just talked to my buddy, he said it was hanging by its chain.

I had a twin brother who pulled my Bonanza out of the Hangar, as it was really cold he ran back in and closed the door real fast to not let the heat out.
Then he fired it up and taxied over to the gas pumps. Those Q tip props sure do look funny with those little chunks out of the middle of each bend.
Ya my twin brother was pretty disappointed in his intelligence about then!!
He sure did ruin a nice little collapsible tow bar
He called himself a lot of very ugly names. about $14,000 dollars worth!
GT

my "buddy" has made a few mistakes.....

like fueling a Lear Jet from the old truck that sat behind the hangar for two years.... only to find out later that the right engine of a Lear will flame out climbing through 29000 feet if the right tank has been filled with water.... oh yeah, and you shouldn't use jet fuel that looks like milk, even if the boss is pushing you to get off the ground.....

or the time he was out over the water, at night, in a driving rainstorm in a Cessna 206... that's when he found out that if the water dripping in from that little air vent at the wing root drips on the rheostat for the panel lights, a spark will fly and the inside of the plane will get very dark.... and one should always keep their flashlight on their person, not in the baggage compartment of a 206....

or the time he learned that when you see a puff of smoke come from the cowling during the run up on a Cessna 207, and you ignore it and fly anyway, the mechanic will then declare the plane "unsafe to taxi" after you land and find the crack in the engine case that let all the oil out.....

he could go on.....

K

Some I've done others were observed
Flashlight left in engine compartment after preflight -surived a 3 hour flight in cowl in 310.
Snap-On screw driver under cowl flown 100 miles
I watched a Aero Commander take off with gust lock on tail- didn't make it off the airport -
Saw a Grumman Albratros take off with boading ladder hanging on entry door -dropped off
over houses -they got a new roof and $$$$$$$
Door came off of Piper Azteck in flight and ended up in Azorinao desert

Helicopters we don't have enough web space to talk about that

I have a good buddy, still alive, who owns a Mooney. Fuel gauges were notoriously accurate (a rarity in GA aircraft it seems). The plane also has a fuel flow, but an old one that you reset when you fill up, but there's no way to add just partial and keep it accurate.

My buddy forgets to "reset" the fuel flow upon fueling. No problem, those fuel gauges are accurate. Plans a round trip across the Sierras with 16 showing on one side and 18 gallons on the other. Trip will take 10 gallons each way - - life is good, nice safe legal VFR reserves. The plan is to run the 18 gallon tank down to the low warning light point, then switch to the 16 gallon tank before crossing the mountains on the return flight. So far, so good.

About 15 from the Sierras on the homeward bound leg, the low fuel light comes on and the left "fuller" tank is selected. A few minutes later, now approaching the Sierra crest, the engine starts to stumble and stagger. "Buddy" is about 1000 feet above the peaks and the nearest airport South Lake Tahoe (TVL) is still miles away and on the other side of the ridge. Over enemy territory with only rocks, trees below, our friend switches to the known low tank and the engine comes to life . . . WHEW! Ah, for only about 30 seconds, then staggers and stops making power again. Oh $%^$. Losing altitude, engine running rough on either tank, Buddy declares an emergency to the tower at TVL (since closed), and is cleared to land.

Like me, my buddy flys gliders, so is conversant with energy management. His wife in the right seat says nothing as he continues to tell her what he's doing and why. With the still staggering engine adding just enough thrust to slow the desent, it looks like he may make the runway . . . all that glider time is coming in handy and he flys a high approach, only dropping gear, flaps and extending speed brakes on short final.

Exiting the plane, he half expects to see oil over the belly of the plane, he still can't believe the engine problem could be fuel exhaustion - - not with 16 gallons still in the left wing tank. But there's no oill mess and looking into the tanks is shocking - bone dry. Wife congratulates him on doing a great job . . but buddy is shocked, aghast that he has stupidly risked both their lives, so he tells wife that, no, he did not do a great job. He also made a promise to always, always visually check fuel.

I, of course, learned from my buddy's experience too, and always carefully check fuel.

bumper

I would like to add this as a finalist in the competition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4_13xYlgfY

I have seen several cessna taxiing with the towbar still attached, no props strikes (yet). I have yet to see one take off but have no doubt that someday I will.
A towbar should ALWAYS be removed when not in use- even for just a minute. Always!
Seems like a no-brainer to me, however, I have seen people leave them in place at the gas pump- - the day after taxiing off with one still attached! Some folks are just slow learners I guess.

Eric

Trying to taxi with the tail still tied down, then trying to get away with the explanation "I was just doing a runup"!

my buddy went to launch his float plane. hitched the trailer and took off to the pond. forgot to untie the left wing tiedown. ripped the strut right off the plane ouch
Jason