Always preflight!!

flyersfan31

flyersfan31

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Freiburgfan31
So, you'd think after 3 airplanes and about 750hrs I'd know this, but it's worth passing on.

Picked up my plane after servicing this afternoon. I knew it had been decowled, for a variety of reasons, but as I walked to the plane I thought to myself, "Eh, she's in great shape, I'm sure I could just fire up and go." Very trustworthy, reputable service dept - I give them top marks for everything. No names, because I wouldn't want any implication that they are anything but top notch to come from this post.

At any rate, the other voice, the wiser, more careful voice, popped in my head and said, "You haven't seen the plane in days. It does not matter. Always preflight. Preflight even MORE carefully after any service, no matter how minor." Fortunately, I always listen to that voice.

I found two things during my preflight that really served as a reminder NEVER to take anything for granted.

The first was not a biggy. I couldn't figure out, for the life of me, why the fuel filter drain wouldn't spit out fuel. Drained both wing tanks, no problem. Instead of a gusher from the fuel filter, I got a dribble. Hmm. Can't be right. That NEVER happens. Went over to one of the senior service guys, long story short (I hadn't started my preflight in the cocpit, lets make that 3 things) the fuel selector was off. Well, my plane, I always leave it on. It was in for service, they turned it off. Hmm. Mental note -- everything in this plane is subject to change whenever ANY person other than me gets a hold of it. This one was minor, because I would have figured it out during startup. Still, it did remind me that ANYTHING could have changed in the cockpit.

The second might have been a bigger issue. I took my usual look in the cowl for wayward bird nests and to check the belts. Looked down, which I don't normally do, and found a cleaning rag. Who knows what it would have done - might have messed with cylinder cooling, something. Who knows. It's hot under a PA46 cowl. At any rate - good thing I preflighted.

Never assume. This is the second potential incident I've discovered preflight. The first could have been worse (rental plane, fuel tank had several cups of water in the right wing tank, had just been out in the pattern with someone else for an hour, good thing I preflighted carefully anyway).
 
Great post Andrew......

Never leave yourself open for the "I wish I would have checked that out in preflight". Mary and I have both watched guys walk up to their planes at ILG (that haven't moved in weeks, maybe months) and jump in, fire up and go. CRAZY I tell you.....just crazy.

My instructor always had me sump, every flight. He would always ask if I trusted some stranger with my life. Maybe a bit much but in a way he was right, I always look in the tank and sump before my first flight and after each fuel purchase.
 
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And now you have a better understanding of how your fuel system works.

I had a similar "nothing" out of the gascolator. Once I studied the fuel system diagram more carefully, I could easily see it was downstream of the fuel selector valve.
 
woodstock said:
I wonder if this is something renters just take for granted?
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Some do. I don't. As I don't know the competence (or the integrity) of the person who flew before, I always preflight thoroughly.

-Skip
 
woodstock said:
I wonder if this is something renters just take for granted?
Click to expand...

What do you mean?

Not related to the quote above (as I rent), but I always preflight, even if I just saw the FBO was closed and I have to go someplace else for water. I may not check the fuel if none were added, but I'll look to see if anything was shaking loose from the plane.
 
Thanx for the reminder, I read long ago in one of Richard Collins articles in Flying Magazine back in the 80s and took it to heart. Always preflight.. especially after maintenance.

Now these were all at different times and not at once. Picking the bird up after an annual. Double check hidden areas for tools. Found one on top of the engine case. Check the oil level. Check for the safety wire on the oil filter, found it missing once.

I also start up taxi away and do a full static run before I go back and pick up the log books and pay the bill. Right Mag Dead, grounding lead problem. Replaced rudder return spring, ran it on the wrong side and it snagged on a frame member. Made taxiing a B$^%h.

Also, with this bird, if they put in screws that are too long when replacing the inspection cover on the vertical fin over the elevator attach area. The internal spring will catch on the screw. Run the trim full nose up and then go to the tail and move the elevator up and down. Gets the mechanics attention when he hears the spring thrrrummmm over the screw end.
 
ALWAYS do a really thorough preflight after any maintenance. My only real emergency happened after a 100 hour inspection. An oil line hadn't been tightened properly, and let go on me. It's been a while, but IIRC it was the oil line to the hobbs switch in this 172, so no hobbs time after it failed :D

I don not mean to imply that the A&P was sloppy, but if you are the first to fly after taking it apart, there is a greater chance of something not being put back together.
 
I'll echo the OP. Picked my plane up from service on Friday. Back up AI was tumbling, new software for the G-1000, new air filter, oil change, plug rotate and regap. All issues professionally handled.

I found nothing out of the ordinary on preflight except the fuel selector being set to off. I had made the mistake of asking that the tanks be topped off and I had one extra (unplanned) pax slated for the trip later that day and no way of burning enough gas to offset the extra load so I had fuel offloaded.

Well, I got through the checklist and run-up were no issue at all. I took off into the clouds only to quickly to find that the software was very different. Once upgraded, the PFD resets it self to default. The flight director was completely different (this upgrade was to allow the upgrade to Synthetic Vision) so I was climbing, setting preferences on the software and answering queries by ATC as to why I was flying my filed plan (KRWI D TYI D KFAY) instead of turning immediately on course.

Setting software preferences is not on my preflight but I learned a good lesson...take nothing for granted. NOTHING.
 
Hey it only takes once......good find...just think what that rag could have plugged up or burned up.
 
Good find.

I have found a wrench in the engine compartment, and I've found a cut-in-half oil container that was used to catch the drippings from the oil filter. I have a rule: after servicing (and especially after annual) the plane gets decowled before first flight.
 
Good rule to live by. Sounds like you averted some potential real problems. On a long x/c (CA to KS), I stopped in ABQ to get fuel and use the facilities. I had them top the tanks and add a quart of oil. I came back out, and thought I should do an abbr. pre-flight. Sure enough, the dipstick had gotten put on my wing next to the fuselage. If I hadn't gone over and checked out the gas caps and oil level, I may never have known what would have happened to my dipstick. I'll take the extra minutes to pre-flight again and again. :yesnod:
 
woodstock said:
I wonder if this is something renters just take for granted?
Click to expand...

As in, renters always preflight, owners sometimes don't? Yeah I'll buy that.

I always do a pretty thorough one any time it's been out of my sight, but then again, it is always outside and subject to damage if nothing else. Hell a grizzly could bounce it.
 
About a month ago as I was preflighting my airplane on the ramp I watched as a bare-metal, no N-number, flat tire Cherokee which has been on the ramp, outside, for at least 3 years, was looked over by two guys. I said good morning but they seemed in a hurry.

They climbed in, the airplane started, and they rolled down the taxiway. Not more than 5 minutes later they roared overhead.

I saw Kevin, the field IA out walking. I asked him if he knew anything about the airplane.

"Yep, the guy came up to me and asked me if I would sinstall a vacuum pump. I asked them where they got it. 'No questions, just need it installed...' I told them to get the *** out of my shop..."

He thinks they were flying to Florida.
 
alaskaflyer said:
As in, renters always preflight, owners sometimes don't? Yeah I'll buy that.
I always do a pretty thorough one any time it's been out of my sight, but then again, it is always outside and subject to damage if nothing else. Hell a grizzly could bounce it.
Click to expand...

Bingo!
 
woodstock said:
I wonder if this is something renters just take for granted?
Click to expand...
This one does... one benefit of renting is that, if you're not a fool, you'll get into the habit of doing a thorough preflight. The things I've found... :rolleyes:

Which is not to say rental fleets are more poorly-maintained than other aircraft- the same stuff happens to all airplanes, as this thread indicates.

Not just maintenance-related items, either... even if nobody else is supposed to touch your plane, if it isn't in a locked hangar, don't assume it hasn't been touched. And if others are allowed to touch or fly the plane, don't assume they didn't walk away from the last flight after doing something odd or just plain dumb.

Then there's critter-related stuff... bird and bee nests, etc. Or bears, LOL!
 
Renter v Owner...

There is a difference in how I approach an airplane that I have had in a hangar under lock and key and flew yesterday and one sitting on a ramp that was flown 10 times yesterday.

I always do a complete walk around with every airplane, but one I fly regularly that's in my control I focus on different things each time. So one flight I might really give the aileron hinges a close look, while the next I check the flap travel with a microscope.

Of course I look at both items each time, but the focus changes.

One habit I've acquired is to do a thorough preflight before climbing into an airplane for a BFR and after the airplane's been touched by maintenance.
 
I generally do a more thorough pre-flight on rentals than on my plane. I know who touches my plane (usually it's me). If it's been out of my sight during maintenance, I'll do a more thorough pre-flight. Normally, though, I'm participating in the maintenance.
 
rpadula said:
And now you have a better understanding of how your fuel system works.

I had a similar "nothing" out of the gascolator. Once I studied the fuel system diagram more carefully, I could easily see it was downstream of the fuel selector valve.
Click to expand...

Well, I actually knew that. It's just that, why would the fuel selector be off?? I never leave it off. It hadn't occurred to me that other folks were in my plane, fiddling with things. It got my spidey senses tingling though.

AFA renting? The reason I always preflight, even when I'm POSITIVE there is no need for it, is the story I alluded to at the end of my post. First flight as a PPL, newly minted, with my first passenger, my dad. Rental plane is late coming in. A woman had it out in the pattern for an hour. Pulls up to the flight line. I walk out to the plane and (I'll never forget this conversation) and say "Dad, I'm going to preflight the plane. Now, I know it's obviously fine, since someone was literally just flying it, but I told Christina I would always be safe when I fly, so I'm just going to do it anyway."

Went through the proforma motions of sumping the tanks. At the time I had one of those specific gravity jobbies with the floating ball. Well, I sump, and the little ball floats right to the top. My little voice sez "That's weird. Have I seen that before?" Sump again. "No, uh, I think the ball always sits at the bottom. Could it be??" Yeah - pure water. I sumped about 20 times before I started getting fuel. Took about 30 until there was no more water coming out. That was the R tank. Fuel selector was on L tank. What if I had taken off, maybe on R, enough fuel to get airborne then PFFFT!! Would I have had time/thought process as brand new PPL to get that fuel tank switched in time? It's not very accessible on the Archer. Dunno. Glad I didn't find out. I always do the look/feel/sniff test on my fuel samples now. I always do a predeparture brief on emergency procedures too.
 
Great post. I echo and practice your thoughts.

If my plane is ever in maintenance, I pull the cowling during my preflight (Cherokee 180 has the big top-half cowling). I am yet to find anything, but it makes me more comfortable that I do it.

Also, I never, ever fly IMC first flight after maintenance of any kind. There's a huge difference between having a problem with the plane, and having that same problem while IMC.


flyersfan31 said:
Never assume. This is the second potential incident I've discovered preflight. The first could have been worse (rental plane, fuel tank had several cups of water in the right wing tank, had just been out in the pattern with someone else for an hour, good thing I preflighted carefully anyway).
Click to expand...
 
A-36 tailcone in place with light hooked up, but no fasteners engaged. Just sitting there waiting for the first wind. Which I assume would have been at startup. Is there a published distance record?

wsuffa said:
Good find.

I have found a wrench in the engine compartment, and I've found a cut-in-half oil container that was used to catch the drippings from the oil filter. I have a rule: after servicing (and especially after annual) the plane gets decowled before first flight.
Click to expand...
 
After a bad annual my buddy found a small drop light under the rudder pedals and "leftover" screws on the console between the seats. After a few choice words to the mechanic he took the plane up for a quick test flight, then parked it. Next morning I showed a bit earlier than him for our breakfast ride.
Still a student pilot at the time, I did a thorough preflight before he arrived.
When he showed up the converstation went like this: Me: You flew this yesterday? Him: Yes. Me: You flew it the way it is? Him: (looking at me funny now, slowly) Yeah, why? Me: I'm only the student pilot here. Why don't you do a good preflight on this thing.
Turns out the four screws that hold the upper and lower cowling halves together behind the prop were missing. A plastic oil pan was still stuck under the oil filter. And the heater cable control had been removed and not replaced leaving a good sized hole in the firewall just above the pilots feet.
After a long silence with his head hung down he said, "Please don't tell my wife about this."
His preflights have improved dramaticly since then.
Oh yeah....the mechanic never got paid.
 
A buddy of mine was a submariner. He said that on the shakedown cruise for a new sub (a boat) that the lead welders/foreman would accompany them on thier first dives to test depth. He said that as they went to 2/3rds of their crush pressure or some ridiculous other parameter there would be a crew of civilians in the cafeteria enjoying sandwiches. It was a tradition since the old days to insure that everyone was "well motivated" to get it right.
 
I belong to a club. A complete pre-flight precedes pulling any of our planes out of the hangar. I know they are well maintained, but I have found things that were best found on the ground and not in the air. Water and other crud in the fuel tanks of the 182. Never did stop getting junk when I sumped. It wound up in the shop having that taken care of. I've found required paperwork to be missing more than once. Unairworthy! And for how long? The club changed the rules so people now aren't supposed to take stuff home to copy it. And the first time I was going to take a passenger flying after getting my PP cert there was a strange rubbing sound as I pulled the plane out of the hangar. My wife had to wait a few days for that flight. Turned out it was just a brake rubbing, but I hadn't heard it before and wasn't going to take any chances.

Takeoffs are optional. Landings are mandatory, and I like to have them where and how I plan.
 
twdeckard said:
A buddy of mine was a submariner.
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I was on a cargo ship attached to SubFlot 6. When we came out of the Charleston Naval Shipyard and went on our shakedown cruise, we found several egregious problems. First, they were supposed to rebuild the main throttle valve. Our mission required a lot of steaming at low speeds, and the steam going through the barely open valve would erode the metal. Periodically we had to have it disassembled, the valve surfaces restored by welding on new metal, reground to fit, assembled, installed. One time we were in dock trials (still moored to the pier) and we opened the valve. We got forward turns on the screw but we could not close the throttle. We had to close the main steam stops to shut down the turbines. On disassembly for inspection, the valve hadn't been restored, and had been reassembled incorrectly.

Second big item, they reinstalled our evaporator (fresh water maker) upside down in its circular shell. For some reason it wouldn't work either.

It was really scary to realize these guys worked on our nuke boats.....

-Skip
 
Skip Miller said:
It was really scary to realize these guys worked on our nuke boats.....

-Skip
Click to expand...

Ship's Force didn't like it when I commented that their boat was being overhauled and refueled by the low bidder when I worked at Mare Island. Gee, I wonder why? :D
 
I'm impressed. Threads like this are kind of like going to sunday school... a kick in the pants reminder of what's right! :D
 
Let's see, I recall reading about someone who had a high performance airplane (P-51 IIRC) at an air show, walked away for a moment, but decided to do a quick walk around anyhow and found a teddy bear stuck in an air inlet...

But one of the Navion's my dad was a partner in had just come out of annual - taxied out to the runway OK, ran up OK, took off OK, then at 50 feet or so shut down cold. Fortunately, they were at DTW and had LOTS of runway ahead... It turns out that the handle on the fuel selector had been installed incorrectly so instead of pulling fuel from the main tank, it was pulling fuel from a nearly empty aux tank.
 
I found a pair of sunglasses in the engine compartment of a rental C172 one morning.

Another time I drained the tanks to find several cups of water -- "But we just flew!"

Well, you just flew with water in your tank...
 
Sheesh...I dropped my fuel hawk into the right tank of my 172..(btw has that ever happened to anyone else around here?) All the experts on the ramp told me, hey Bruce, no problem..just fly...NOWAY. Took me over an hour to fish that thing out with a set of grabbers...but it would have made me crazy to fly with that thing rattling around in the tank!
 
You did the right thing, Bruce.

That hasn't happened to me, but I did once forget to latch the fuel cap properly, which promptly fell off the plane shortly after takeoff. I noticed it right after flying into a cloud. Fortunately, they found it the next day when mowing the runway. The durable metal construction went "CLANG!" against the mower blades, but was undamaged.

Since then, one of my superiors at work always asks when he goes flying with me "Did you latch the fuel caps?" He says it with a smile. :)
 
I can only speak for the student pilot renter's experience, but I can't imagine why anyone would consider flying a rented plane he/she hadn't thoroughly preflighted. The way I see it, it's my life in my hands, and if anything goes wrong, it's my fault. That beats laziness and complacency every time!
 
I do a full preflight on any airplane I fly unless it's been in my control continuously since my last full preflight.

On any preflight after engine maintenance, the cowling comes off. Even really good techs have the occasional brainfart and leave a rag/tool inside, or something else not quite right. I don't insist on opening the inspection panels in the wings or body if the flight control checks are ok, unless the log shows internal structural work was done.

I learned this habit from a CG pilot I flew with. She was the maintenance officer and did all the test flights after maintenance. Her procedure was that the pilot who would fly the airplane after the maintenance event would be present while the airplane was buttoned up, would review the tool control logs, and accept the airplane. The lead tech for the maintenance event would also be the flight mech for the test flight. A tech just out of school would sometimes have an attitude, essentially feeling untrusted. Ten minutes with the Chief and a review of pictures and the Accident Investigation Board's report of a prior fatal crash cured that attitude. When you do the kind of work where a mistake can kill, having an extra check is a good thing. The "sting" you feel having your work re-checked is NOTHING compared to the feeling of "I ****ed up and now they're DEAD".

Combat ops are a different story - there's a completely different risk equation at play there, but even then there's as much double-checking as feasible.
 
TMetzinger said:
I learned this habit from a CG pilot I flew with. She was the maintenance officer and did all the test flights after maintenance. Her procedure was that the pilot who would fly the airplane after the maintenance event would be present while the airplane was buttoned up, would review the tool control logs, and accept the airplane.
Click to expand...

The Air Force was maniacal about tool acountability. Flight ops would stop and we'd be walking taxiways and runways if one set of safety wire pliers was missing.
 
dmccormack said:
The Air Force was maniacal about tool acountability. Flight ops would stop and we'd be walking taxiways and runways if one set of safety wire pliers was missing.
Click to expand...
Same in the Navy ... Tool Accountability Program was solidly ingrained, and I just cringe watching the current GA maintenance at times ...
 
gkainz said:
Same in the Navy ... Tool Accountability Program was solidly ingrained, and I just cringe watching the current GA maintenance at times ...
Click to expand...

We had tool chests with cutouts for every single tool -- including sockets, screwdrivers -- everything.

Some were a work of art.

:)

For some reason the Air Force didn't want tools rattling around in warheads. Go figure. :eek:
 
Oh yeah, the suckiest job on the AirSta was the Tool Control PO. It was a rotating collateral duty, and was further assigned as punishment, usually for being lax elsewhere.

For those who don't have the background... The job of Tool control was to inventory every tool at the start of a maintenance shift or event, then get every tech to sign out every tool they used, and then ensure that every tool not signed out was accounted for, and that every tool signed out was returned at the end of the shift or the event.

Our tool cabinets had safety-glo-yellow drawers with foam cutouts for each tool, so it was immediately obvious when a tool was missing. Nobody went home and no airplanes were launched until the tool was found. Have that happen more than once while you were "tool control" and your evaluation was in jeopardy.

The next-suckiest job was the safety observer who ensured that all lock-out and tag-outs were performed properly.
 
The fuel selector off problem is common on the Mirage and Matrix. The boost pumps run continuously with power on, if someone in the shop advances the throttle and mixture you end up with gallons of fuel on the floor and in the engine (really flooded start). When they come in the shop the fuel is always shut off and verified on with the delivery checklist before the customer arrives, we have left the selector off too.

My all time favorite pre-flight check was when I found the paper copy of the 172 service manual laying on top of the cylinders under the cowling, the aircraft had been back on the rental line for weeks. I also watch a 172 land at MTN with the tow-bar attached to the nose wheel. I have learned a lot from my mistakes and others.

Kevin
 
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