Tow bar not removed, APEX Aircraft DR 400/140 B, PH-SVT, Rotterdam The Hague Airport
Before the flight, the student pilot performed a walkaround inspection on the DR 400 in the hangar, after which he towed the single-engined aeroplane outside and placed it in front of another hangar. The student had left the tow bar in the nose wheel, in case it was necessary to move the aircraft again. The student then went indoors and obtained clearance to leave the aeroplane there for a while. After the briefing, the instructor and the student walked to the aircraft, which they approached from behind, and got in. The student started the engine and taxied to runway 24. The first part of the route had a smooth asphalt surface, while the next section consisted of Stelcon concrete slabs. While taxiing over these slabs, a rattling noise could be heard, which seemed to emanate from the area around the underframe. This faded away when the aircraft entered the taxiway. Nevertheless, the instructor wanted to test the nose wheel, so he made a few turns and braked a few times. Both occupants then saw wood splinters fly up into the air. The instructor assumed that these had come from the nose wheel fairing, and decided to return to the hangar. A fireman, who was walking along the service road at that time, made hand gestures indicating that they should turn the engine off. The student turned off the engine and he and the instructor got out. They then noticed that the tow bar was still in the nose wheel, and that the tips of the three propeller blades had been damaged.
This incident is described extensively in the quarterly aviation report over the 4th quarter of 2020.
