Learjet 45
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 7500; Flight Crew Type 12
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter FOD
Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
After repositioning to ZZZ; it was decided that we needed 110 gallons of additional fuel to make the trip with a patient to ZZZ1. Our company has a fuel farm at the ZZZ base; the conditions where night it had just rained and there was very little light on the aircraft. Our company does not have single point refueling at any of our fuel farms and we have to do an over the wing fueling process where the fueler climbs on top of the wing and fuels the fuselage tank and it gravity feeds to the whole aircraft fuel system. The Captain decided to fuel the aircraft himself and I decided to help the Captain by pulling the fuel hose to him. After he was done; I reeled up the hose for him. I jumped in the cockpit and ran our numbers and pulled a clearance. After loading the patient; the Captain did a walk around the aircraft but failed to see a black rubber mat left on the wing during fueling. This was the second time the Captain has ever fueled this aircraft in this manner and announced to me this was his first flight as a PIC in this make and model aircraft on a Part 135 flight.After lining up on the runway and applying take off power; we heard a loud bang and we did an immediate abort. With no indication or EICAS message we taxied into the ramp and shut down. Upon inspection we discovered the rubber mat had been ingested into the right engine.Our training was simulator based which is almost entirely based on the cockpit! There was very little actual training concerning the walk around and actual fueling and pre-flighting of the aircraft. This could have been prevented if there where crew preflight procedures regarding pre-flighting and fueling of the aircraft within the company. The chain of events that led up to this event was a lack of consistency in operations. We both are very new to this aircraft and are both trying to establish a good flow of operations using approved factory checklist and standard procedures.
On applying takeoff power; the right engine sucked up and ingested a fueling mat which had been left on the wing. There was a loud noise as it ingested; and power was immediately brought to idle; takeoff aborted; and airplane was stopped; ground roll had just initiated. There were no EICAS messages; but we could hear something sounded different and had a brief smell of burning rubber which dissipated. There was no smoke in either the cabin or cockpit. The decision was made to taxi back to the ramp and shutdown.When gravity refueling the airplane; we stick a black rubber mat on top of the wing for traction walking on it and to protect the wing. This occurred at night and our refueling area on the ramp is not well lit; especially on the side we fuel on. After refueling; the panels on that side were shut and secured and ladder put away; but the mat was left unnoticed on the wing. On the pre-start walk around I did; I was focused on making sure the panels that had been opened on that side were shut and secured as well as looking over the rest of the aircraft. I did not see the mat nor did it catch my eye being in a shaded area of the wing and blending in. Unfortunately; me not seeing this mat and not removing it after refueling; led to it being ingested by the engine later when applying power.This is a new refueling procedure for both me; my co-pilot and the company; and inexperience with not having a set procedure for doing the refueling contributed to this. Also contributing to this were the lighting conditions which did not allow for the black mat to be easily seen in the dark conditions. A couple of things I could have done different which I will initiate in the future are; do a more intense walk around due to having done an unfamiliar and new procedure; to be completed both after the procedure and then again later before start so it is done twice. Also have both pilots complete the walk around instead of just one of us; to have an extra set of eyes on the airplane. I could have also had a checklist of items to double check and make sure all items were back in and returned to the baggage area as this would insure nothing got left out. Also when doing my before start walk around; to insure that while inspecting areas of the plane that I know may be in issue to be more vigilant in looking at areas that I do not have a reason to suspect may cause an issue.To summarize; when doing a new or unfamiliar procedure; be extra vigilant and cautious in performing your checks afterwards as that is a situation where it is easy to miss things that can cause an issue later.
LJ45 flight crew reported preflight procedural mistakes resulted in a rejected takeoff and engine damage.