# Accident 20011018031899A: Cessna 172N, Rchmond/Ashland, VA, October 18, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 18, 2001, 07:00 local time - Place: Rchmond/Ashland, VA - Airport: Hanover County Municipal Airport - Phase of flight: Starting Engines - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 37.7607° N, 77.4706° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7607&lon=-77.4706&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4834G, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4834G-2013-08-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N - Reported engine: LYC O320* - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 700 total, 10 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC02LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02LA011) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011018031899A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-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." ## 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 NYC02LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02LA011), Oct 18, 2001: Cessna 172N (N4834G), Ashland, VA, no damage. Probable cause: The line technician's inadvertent contact with the propeller during a hand-propped engine start. ## Other reports on N4834G (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20050511008019I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050511008019I), May 11, 2005: Cessna 172N (N4834G), Frenchville, ME, Minor damage. (-23) Flight instructor and pvt pilot student on a training flight conducting ground reference maneuvers experienced an engine malfunction. Both pilots state… - [Incident 19981031043399I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981031043399I), Oct 31, 1998: Cessna 172N (N4834G), Saluda, VA, Minor damage. (-5) On landing at W75, the nose gear collapsed. No injuries and minor damage to the aircraft. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.