What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2 Pilots. NR2 failed to turn switch to start. Got out NR1 started engine and NR2 pilots right arm was severed by prop. (-23) two friends had completed all preflight items and were ready to start. When the pilot identified herein as "second pilot," from the left front seat rotated the key of the magneto/starter combination switch to the start position and "pushed", the starter did not respond - privacy data omitted after removing the cowling and not finding a problem the "first pilot" reentered the cockpit and sat in the left seat, while the "second pilot" stood clear and watched. When the key was again pushed, the engine immediately started. The pilot recalls seeing blood spew over the right wing and feels he must have frozen at the sight. The engine raced and the airplane traveled approsimately 70 feet before hitting a t-hanger and an automobile parked inside. The "second pilot" had been struck by the propeller and his right arm severed just below the shoulder. The first pilot, a dentist, was able to recover from his initial shock and administer first aid in the form of a tourniquet. This and a helicopter medivac saved the second pilot's life. There was substantial aircraft damage to the wings, cowling and propeller. (.4)after a preflight, pilot 'a' got into the left seat and pilot 'b' into the right seat and attempted to start the engine, but could not sustain a start. Both pilots exited the airplane and agreed to remove the cowling to determine the problem. Both pilots determined it was not a mechanical problem and pilot 'b' volunteered to get into the airplane and attempt to start the engine. According to pilot 'b''s statement, he told pilot 'a' to 'stay clear of the prop.' He sat in the pilot's seat, looked out and saw pilot 'a' standing to the right of the aircraft, clear of the prop. Pilot 'b' said he 'shouted clear' from the open window on the pilot's side, turned the ignition and the engine 'fired immediately.' He then looked to the right after the engine engaged, saw blood on the wing, and the plane began to race. He said, '...I applied maximum pressure on the toe brakes, but could not stop the plane from moving forward into an open hangar directly in front of the plane. The prop hit a car parked in the hangar and I noticed the right wing bend...fuel start to leak from the tank...the throttle was advanced. I closed the throttle and mixture and the engine finallt chicked out.' Pilot 'b' then went to the other pilot, rendered aid and called for medical help.
As the FAA filed it
2 PILOTS. NR2 FAILED TO TURN SWITCH TO START. GOT OUT NR1 STARTED ENGINE AND NR2 PILOTS RIGHT ARM WAS SEVERED BY PROP. (-23) TWO FRIENDS HAD COMPLETED ALL PREFLIGHT ITEMS AND WERE READY TO START. WHEN THE PILOT IDENTIFIED HEREIN AS "SECOND PILOT," FROM THE LEFT FRONT SEAT ROTATED THE KEY OF THE MAGNETO/STARTER COMBINATION SWITCH TO THE START POSITION AND "PUSHED", THE STARTER DID NOT RESPOND - ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AFTER REMOVING THE COWLING AND NOT FINDING A PROBLEM THE "FIRST PILOT" REENTERED THE COCKPIT AND SAT IN THE LEFT SEAT, WHILE THE "SECOND PILOT" STOOD CLEAR AND WATCHED. WHEN THE KEY WAS AGAIN PUSHED, THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STARTED. THE PILOT RECALLS SEEING BLOOD SPEW OVER THE RIGHT WING AND FEELS HE MUST HAVE FROZEN AT THE SIGHT. THE ENGINE RACED AND THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED APPROSIMATELY 70 FEET BEFORE HITTING A T-HANGER AND AN AUTOMOBILE PARKED INSIDE. THE "SECOND PILOT" HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE PROPELLER AND HIS RIGHT ARM SEVERED JUST BELOW THE SHOULDER. THE FIRST PILOT, A DENTIST, WAS ABLE TO RECOVER FROM HIS INITIAL SHOCK AND ADMINISTER FIRST AID IN THE FORM OF A TOURNIQUET. THIS AND A HELICOPTER MEDIVAC SAVED THE SECOND PILOT'S LIFE. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, COWLING AND PROPELLER. (.4)AFTER A PREFLIGHT, PILOT 'A' GOT INTO THE LEFT SEAT AND PILOT 'B' INTO THE RIGHT SEAT AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE, BUT COULD NOT SUSTAIN A START. BOTH PILOTS EXITED THE AIRPLANE AND AGREED TO REMOVE THE COWLING TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. BOTH PILOTS DETERMINED IT WAS NOT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM AND PILOT 'B' VOLUNTEERED TO GET INTO THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE. ACCORDING TO PILOT 'B''S STATEMENT, HE TOLD PILOT 'A' TO 'STAY CLEAR OF THE PROP.' HE SAT IN THE PILOT'S SEAT, LOOKED OUT AND SAW PILOT 'A' STANDING TO THE RIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT, CLEAR OF THE PROP. PILOT 'B' SAID HE 'SHOUTED CLEAR' FROM THE OPEN WINDOW ON THE PILOT'S SIDE, TURNED THE IGNITION AND THE ENGINE 'FIRED IMMEDIATELY.' HE THEN LOOKED TO THE RIGHT AFTER THE ENGINE ENGAGED, SAW BLOOD ON THE WING, AND THE PLANE BEGAN TO RACE. HE SAID, '...I APPLIED MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON THE TOE BRAKES, BUT COULD NOT STOP THE PLANE FROM MOVING FORWARD INTO AN OPEN HANGAR DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE PLANE. THE PROP HIT A CAR PARKED IN THE HANGAR AND I NOTICED THE RIGHT WING BEND...FUEL START TO LEAK FROM THE TANK...THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED. I CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE AND THE ENGINE FINALLT CHICKED OUT.' PILOT 'B' THEN WENT TO THE OTHER PILOT, RENDERED AID AND CALLED FOR MEDICAL HELP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.