20010703017039A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-12 · Plymouth, MA · July 3, 2001

Date: July 3, 2001 · 17:30 local
Place: Plymouth, MA
Airport: Plymouth Municipal
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N3042M
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC01LA165
Reported as: Piper PA12

N3042MRegistered now · Piper PA-12S/N 12-1734 Airframe modelPiper PA-12

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.

(-23) Pilot attempted to start aircraft. Bendix drive would not engage fly wheel of engine. Pilot decided to get out and spin the propeller to engage the bendix drive. Pilot states that he turned magneto switches off. On third spin of the prop the engine started. Pilot had left fuel mixture rich and the throttle forward. Aircraft was not tied down nor was the aircraft chocked. There was no one at the controls while the aircraft was being proped. Engine is estimated to have been running at 1100 to 1200 RPM. Prop blast blew the door closed. The aircraft began to move. The pilot then grabbed to right strut, thus causing drag on the right side of the plane. Aircraft began a sweeping right hand turn and came to rest after severing the tail section of a Cessna 210.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START AIRCRAFT. BENDIX DRIVE WOULD NOT ENGAGE FLY WHEEL OF ENGINE. PILOT DECIDED TO GET OUT AND SPIN THE PROPELLER TO ENGAGE THE BENDIX DRIVE. PILOT STATES THAT HE TURNED MAGNETO SWITCHES OFF. ON THIRD SPIN OF THE PROP THE ENGINE STARTED. PILOT HAD LEFT FUEL MIXTURE RICH AND THE THROTTLE FORWARD. AIRCRAFT WAS NOT TIED DOWN NOR WAS THE AIRCRAFT CHOCKED. THERE WAS NO ONE AT THE CONTROLS WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING PROPED. ENGINE IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN RUNNING AT 1100 TO 1200 RPM. PROP BLAST BLEW THE DOOR CLOSED. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO MOVE. THE PILOT THEN GRABBED TO RIGHT STRUT, THUS CAUSING DRAG ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PLANE. AIRCRAFT BEGAN A SWEEPING RIGHT HAND TURN AND CAME TO REST AFTER SEVERING THE TAIL SECTION OF A CESSNA 210.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC01LA165Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPlymouth, MAThe pilot's failure to ensure the magnetos were off prior to rotating the propeller, which resulted in an unintentional engine start and subsequent unmanned taxi.Jul 3, 2001 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3042M · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19920814031489AFinal Approach · Talkeetna, AKLanded hard and short of remote strip. Pilots license had been revoked prior.Aug 14, 1992 · Substantial damage