19990531016669I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172R · San Bernadino, CA · May 31, 1999

Date: May 31, 1999 · 00:20 local
Place: San Bernadino, CA
Airport: Norton Afb
Phase of flight: Starting Engines
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2663B
Reported as: Cessna 172R
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 110 total6 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N2663BRegistration cancelled May 8, 2014 · Cessna 172RS/N 17280561 · Built 1998 Airframe modelCessna 172R Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

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.

An interview with the pilot revealed that following an unsuccessful attempt at starting the aircraft engine, the aircraft experienced a dead battery. Unable to start the engine utilizing the battery, the pilot elected to hand start the aircraft. The pilot stated that prior to attempting the hand start, he positioned the engine controls for a flooded start (throttle 1/2 throttle and mixture control to the idle cut-off position), set the parking brake, and briefed one of his non-rated passengers to hold the brakes and advance the mixture once the engine started. The passenger stated that when the engine started, he pushed the mixture control in as he had been briefed however, the brakes did not hold and the aircraft began to move forward rotating to the left about the left main wheel. The pilot was unable to gain access to the cockpit to stop the aircraft which struck a hanger causing damage to the left wing and propeller.

As the FAA filed it

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT REVEALED THAT FOLLOWING AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT AT STARTING THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A DEAD BATTERY. UNABLE TO START THE ENGINE UTILIZING THE BATTERY, THE PILOT ELECTED TO HAND START THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING THE HAND START, HE POSITIONED THE ENGINE CONTROLS FOR A FLOODED START (THROTTLE 1/2 THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROL TO THE IDLE CUT-OFF POSITION), SET THE PARKING BRAKE, AND BRIEFED ONE OF HIS NON-RATED PASSENGERS TO HOLD THE BRAKES AND ADVANCE THE MIXTURE ONCE THE ENGINE STARTED. THE PASSENGER STATED THAT WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED, HE PUSHED THE MIXTURE CONTROL IN AS HE HAD BEEN BRIEFED HOWEVER, THE BRAKES DID NOT HOLD AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD ROTATING TO THE LEFT ABOUT THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT WHICH STRUCK A HANGER CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND PROPELLER.