# Accident 19980403005519A: Piper PA28181, Charlotte, NC, April 3, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 3, 1998, 10:15 local time - Place: Charlotte, NC - Airport: Charlotte-Douglas International - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Starting Engines - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.2132° N, 80.9514° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CHARLOTTE/DOUGLAS INTL (CLT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2132&lon=-80.9514&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4594F, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4594F) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181 - Reported engine: LYC O360A4M - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,074 total, 874 in this make and model, 32 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA119) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980403005519A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA98LA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA119), Apr 3, 1998: Piper PA-28-181 (N4594F), Charlotte, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to follow proper starting procedures. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.