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Warning: I tried cleaning a CRJ pitot tube with a cotton swab and now the thing reads 20 knots on the ramp
So last week I was doing a ramp check on a CRJ200 over at the hangar in Wichita and I noticed the left pitot tube had some crud built up around the drain hole. I figured I would just grab a cotton swab and some isopropyl alcohol and clean it out real quick, no big deal. Well I stuck that swab in there and apparently pushed some of the debris further up into the tube, which is exactly what the AMM says not to do. Next thing I know the air data computer is showing 20 knots on the ground with the plane parked and zero wind. I spent about 3 hours troubleshooting before I admitted what I did to my lead, who was cool about it but made me read the manual out loud. Turns out you are supposed to use low pressure air and never insert anything into the pitot opening, which I knew but got lazy. We ended up pulling the tube and sending it out for a bench check that cost the shop around 800 bucks. Has anyone else ever messed up a pitot or static port by trying to save time on a quick clean?
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evannelson20h ago
Cotton swabs shed fibers too, that stuff can jam the works even without the debris.
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