# Accident 19980704021159A: Cessna 172M, Sacramento, CA, July 4, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 4, 1998, 01:12 local time
- Place: Sacramento, CA
- Airport: Sacramento Metropolitan
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.0810° N, 84.6002° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0810&lon=-84.6002&mi=10
- Aircraft: N12187, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N12187) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2D
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 141 total, 102 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA076) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980704021159A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

STARTED 172 BY HAND PROPPING. LEFT AND TAIL ROPES SLID OFF. AIRCRAFT PIVOTED AROUND RIGHT TIE DOWN. HIT PARKED PA28 (.4)THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, AT 0100 LOCAL TIME, IN PREPARATION FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH TWO FRIENDS.  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DISCOVERED THE BATTERY WAS DEAD, AND NOT WANTING TO DISAPPOINT HIS FRIENDS, DECIDED TO HAND-PROP THE AIRPLANE FOR ENGINE START.  AFTER 2-3 MINUTES, THE ENGINE CAUGHT AND THE AIRPLANE LURCHED FORWARD.  THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LEFT WING AND THE EMPENNAGE TIE DOWN ROPES FELL OFF, AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO PIVOT AROUND THE RIGHT WING TIE DOWN ROPE.  HE REPORTED THAT HE GAVE CHASE TO THE AIRPLANE, BUT WAS HIT BY EITHER THE LEFT WING STRUT OR HORIZONTAL STAB AS THE EMPENNAGE SWUNG AROUND.  THE RUNAWAY AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH AN AIRPLANE PARKED IN AN ADJACENT PARKING SPOT.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NEVER HAND-PROPPED AN AIRPLANE BEFORE, NOR HAD HE RECEIVED INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO HAND-PROP AN AIRPLANE.                                    (-23)PILOT HAND PROPPED ENGINE DUE TO A DEAD BATTERY.  AFTER ENGINE STARTED, THE LEFT WING AND TAIL TIE DOWN ROPES CAME LOOSE ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO                                   PIVOT AROUND THE RIGHT WING TIE DOWN, WHICH REMAINED SECURED. THIS ALLOWED THE CESSNA, N12187, TO COME IN CONTACT WITH A PARKED PIPER PA-28-161, N8161D.

## 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 IAD98LA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA076), Jul 4, 1998: Cessna 172M (N12187), Somerset, KY, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to follow procedures to hand-prop the airplane.

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.

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