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20011018031899A

Accident
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Rchmond/Ashland, VA · October 18, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 18, 2001 · 07:00 local
Place
Rchmond/Ashland, VA
Airport
Hanover County Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Starting Engines
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N4834G
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC02LA011
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
700 total10 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N4834GRegistration cancelled Aug 22, 2013 · Cessna 172NS/N 17273382 · Built 1979Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

(-23) The aircraft starter would not engage. A battery cart attached to the aircraft did not help. Knocking on the starter itself did not help. The line manager assisted the pilot by attempting to "prop" start the engine. The engine started immediately; however, the line manager was struck by the propeller causing him serious injuries. (.4) on October 18, 2001, at 0705 eastern daylight time, a line technician was seriously injured while attempting to hand-prop a Cessna 172N, N4834G, at Hanover County Municipal Airport (ofp), Ashland, Virginia. The airplane was not damaged, and the pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file for the aerial observation flight, conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, during the engine start attempt, the starter would not engage. The line technician tried using a battery cart, but again the starter would not engage. The technician then hit the starter in an attempt to free the solenoid. When that didn't work, the pilot suggested hand-propping the airplane. The technician stated that he was familiar with the procedure, and t he two went through the steps of the process. The technician called for the brakes to be held, throttle cracked, and magnetos on "both". From the pilot's perspective, when the technician attempted the start, he appeared to wrap both hands around the propeller, then pulled it downward using his full body weight. The engine started, and the technician appeared to lose his balance and fell into the propeller arc. "The propeller clipped him in the back, picked up speed, struck him in the right forearm and tore through his right leg." According to the technician, the engine started running as soon as he touched the propeller. The technician didn't slip, but he "wasn't quite ready for the propeller to turn over." The technician also stated that he had been extremely careful during the start attempt, and if he hadn't been, the propeller "would've taken my head off."

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT STARTER WOULD NOT ENGAGE. A BATTERY CART ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HELP. KNOCKING ON THE STARTER ITSELF DID NOT HELP. THE LINE MANAGER ASSISTED THE PILOT BY ATTEMPTING TO "PROP" START THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE STARTED IMMEDIATELY; HOWEVER, THE LINE MANAGER WAS STRUCK BY THE PROPELLER CAUSING HIM SERIOUS INJURIES. (.4) ON OCTOBER 18, 2001, AT 0705 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A LINE TECHNICIAN WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO HAND-PROP A CESSNA 172N, N4834G, AT HANOVER COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (OFP), ASHLAND, VIRGINIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT DAMAGED, AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE FOR THE AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING THE ENGINE START ATTEMPT, THE STARTER WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE LINE TECHNICIAN TRIED USING A BATTERY CART, BUT AGAIN THE STARTER WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE TECHNICIAN THEN HIT THE STARTER IN AN ATTEMPT TO FREE THE SOLENOID. WHEN THAT DIDN'T WORK, THE PILOT SUGGESTED HAND-PROPPING THE AIRPLANE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCEDURE, AND T HE TWO WENT THROUGH THE STEPS OF THE PROCESS. THE TECHNICIAN CALLED FOR THE BRAKES TO BE HELD, THROTTLE CRACKED, AND MAGNETOS ON "BOTH". FROM THE PILOT'S PERSPECTIVE, WHEN THE TECHNICIAN ATTEMPTED THE START, HE APPEARED TO WRAP BOTH HANDS AROUND THE PROPELLER, THEN PULLED IT DOWNWARD USING HIS FULL BODY WEIGHT. THE ENGINE STARTED, AND THE TECHNICIAN APPEARED TO LOSE HIS BALANCE AND FELL INTO THE PROPELLER ARC. "THE PROPELLER CLIPPED HIM IN THE BACK, PICKED UP SPEED, STRUCK HIM IN THE RIGHT FOREARM AND TORE THROUGH HIS RIGHT LEG." ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICIAN, THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING AS SOON AS HE TOUCHED THE PROPELLER. THE TECHNICIAN DIDN'T SLIP, BUT HE "WASN'T QUITE READY FOR THE PROPELLER TO TURN OVER." THE TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY CAREFUL DURING THE START ATTEMPT, AND IF HE HADN'T BEEN, THE PROPELLER "WOULD'VE TAKEN MY HEAD OFF."

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 NYC02LA011Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAshland, VAThe line technician's inadvertent contact with the propeller during a hand-propped engine start.Oct 18, 2001 · No damage

Other reports on N4834G · 2

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

Incident 20050511008019IPractice Training Manuevers · Frenchville, ME(-23) Flight instructor and pvt pilot student on a training flight conducting ground reference maneuvers experienced an engine malfunction. Both pilots state the engine quit abruptly. Attempted restart and engine ran rough with no power. PIC landed aircraft…May 11, 2005 · Minor damageIncident 19981031043399ILevel Off Touchdown · Saluda, VA(-5) On landing at W75, the nose gear collapsed. No injuries and minor damage to the aircraft.Oct 31, 1998 · Minor damage