What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot could not start aircraft normally. APU assisted start attempt did not work. Pilot elected to tie down tail, chock nose gear, and hand-prop airplane with his wife on board. When engine started, airplane broke away from tiedown & chock, scratched a fuel truck on the ramp, and came to rest on a block wall of an FBO, las FSDO assisted by visiting scene and provided AZ fsdo-sdl with photots. (.4) the aircraft would not start following refueling. The fixed-base operator provided an external power source, but the engine still did not start. The pilot stated that he tied the tail down and chocked the nose gear. He then primed the engine and inadvertently pushed the throttle forward. After exiting the aircraft, he hand propped the propeller. The engine started, revved to high RPM, rolled over the chock and pulled the tail tie down loose. By the time the pilot was able to apply brakes, the aircraft had struck a fuel truck and a brick wall.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT COULD NOT START AIRCRAFT NORMALLY. APU ASSISTED START ATTEMPT DID NOT WORK. PILOT ELECTED TO TIE DOWN TAIL, CHOCK NOSE GEAR, AND HAND-PROP AIRPLANE WITH HIS WIFE ON BOARD. WHEN ENGINE STARTED, AIRPLANE BROKE AWAY FROM TIEDOWN & CHOCK, SCRATCHED A FUEL TRUCK ON THE RAMP, AND CAME TO REST ON A BLOCK WALL OF AN FBO, LAS FSDO ASSISTED BY VISITING SCENE AND PROVIDED AZ FSDO-SDL WITH PHOTOTS. (.4) THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT START FOLLOWING REFUELING. THE FIXED-BASE OPERATOR PROVIDED AN EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE, BUT THE ENGINE STILL DID NOT START. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TIED THE TAIL DOWN AND CHOCKED THE NOSE GEAR. HE THEN PRIMED THE ENGINE AND INADVERTENTLY PUSHED THE THROTTLE FORWARD. AFTER EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, HE HAND PROPPED THE PROPELLER. THE ENGINE STARTED, REVVED TO HIGH RPM, ROLLED OVER THE CHOCK AND PULLED THE TAIL TIE DOWN LOOSE. BY THE TIME THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO APPLY BRAKES, THE AIRCRAFT HAD STRUCK A FUEL TRUCK AND A BRICK WALL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.