19970111000339I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Maule MXT7180 · Miami, FL · January 11, 1997

Date: January 11, 1997 · 15:30 local
Place: Miami, FL
Airport: Tamiami Airport
Phase of flight: Starting Engines
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1021H
Reported as: Maule MXT7180
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 90 total15 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft was parked when it owner inadvertantly started it. Taxied into N747TR that was parked and tied down. (-23)student pilot had just purchased new aircraft with anticipcation of being certified. Student had a totla of 90 hrs. On PA-28-140. He came into the airport after delivery of the aircraft to familiarize himself with his now aircraft. There was no intent to taxi or fly, just familiarize himself to the cockpit for the type. He decided to do start check and when he inserted key in mag switch and rotated full right he thought the Maule was same as cherokee that had a press to start switch. The throttle was set at full mix, full rich, brakes not set. The aircraft started, veered around to the right and struck a derelict aero commander parked next to him. The engine stopped after contact. Student shut down all power and evacuated aircraft uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED WHEN IT OWNER INADVERTANTLY STARTED IT. TAXIED INTO N747TR THAT WAS PARKED AND TIED DOWN. (-23)STUDENT PILOT HAD JUST PURCHASED NEW AIRCRAFT WITH ANTICIPCATION OF BEING CERTIFIED. STUDENT HAD A TOTLA OF 90 HRS. ON PA-28-140. HE CAME INTO THE AIRPORT AFTER DELIVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH HIS NOW AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO INTENT TO TAXI OR FLY, JUST FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF TO THE COCKPIT FOR THE TYPE. HE DECIDED TO DO START CHECK AND WHEN HE INSERTED KEY IN MAG SWITCH AND ROTATED FULL RIGHT HE THOUGHT THE MAULE WAS SAME AS CHEROKEE THAT HAD A PRESS TO START SWITCH. THE THROTTLE WAS SET AT FULL MIX, FULL RICH, BRAKES NOT SET. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED, VEERED AROUND TO THE RIGHT AND STRUCK A DERELICT AERO COMMANDER PARKED NEXT TO HIM. THE ENGINE STOPPED AFTER CONTACT. STUDENT SHUT DOWN ALL POWER AND EVACUATED AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.