What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On February 12, 2002, about 1500 pacific standard time, a Piper PA-24, N7004P, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, collided with a fence and trees at the Scappoose Industrial Airpark, Scappoose, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The private pilot received minor injuries and the passenger was fatally injured. During a telephone interview, the pilot reported that after fueling the airplane, the engine would not start. The pilot moved the airplane away from the fuel pumps to hand prop the engine. The pilot reported that with the passenger in the right front seat, he set the parking brake, pushed the throttle in about 1/4 inch, and moved the magneto switch to both. The pilot then pulled the propeller through once and the engine started. The pilot stated that he then started to walk around the wing when the engine RPM increased to full power and the airplane began to move forward. The wing knocked the pilot down and the airplane continued to travel across the ramp toward the taxiway and runway. The aircraft crossed the runway and collided witha fence and subsequently trees in a park on the opposite side of the airport. A witness, who was at the fuel pumps, reported that during the event, the airplane did become airborne about four feet above the ground just prior to the collision. (-23) after refueling the aircraft the pilot attempted to start the engine using battery power and was unable to get the engine to start. He set the parking brake, opened the throttle about 1/4 inch and placed the magneto switch to both. He exited the cockpit to hand prop the engine. The passenger remained in the cockpit. After the engine started the pilot was walking around the right wing when the engine went to a high RPM. The aircraft started moving and the pilot was knocked to the ground when he tried to stop the aircraft. The aircraft continued to accelerate on a heading of approximately 90 degrees to the runway. It traveled across the runway, hit the airport boundary fence, went through the fence and collided with some large trees. It came to a stop in a small park just off airport property on the west side of the airport.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON FEBRUARY 12, 2002, ABOUT 1500 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-24, N7004P, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND TREES AT THE SCAPPOOSE INDUSTRIAL AIRPARK, SCAPPOOSE, OREGON. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER FUELING THE AIRPLANE, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE PILOT MOVED THE AIRPLANE AWAY FROM THE FUEL PUMPS TO HAND PROP THE ENGINE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WITH THE PASSENGER IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT, HE SET THE PARKING BRAKE, PUSHED THE THROTTLE IN ABOUT 1/4 INCH, AND MOVED THE MAGNETO SWITCH TO BOTH. THE PILOT THEN PULLED THE PROPELLER THROUGH ONCE AND THE ENGINE STARTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN STARTED TO WALK AROUND THE WING WHEN THE ENGINE RPM INCREASED TO FULL POWER AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD. THE WING KNOCKED THE PILOT DOWN AND THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE RAMP TOWARD THE TAXIWAY AND RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CROSSED THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITHA FENCE AND SUBSEQUENTLY TREES IN A PARK ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. A WITNESS, WHO WAS AT THE FUEL PUMPS, REPORTED THAT DURING THE EVENT, THE AIRPLANE DID BECOME AIRBORNE ABOUT FOUR FEET ABOVE THE GROUND JUST PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. (-23) AFTER REFUELING THE AIRCRAFT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE USING BATTERY POWER AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THE ENGINE TO START. HE SET THE PARKING BRAKE, OPENED THE THROTTLE ABOUT 1/4 INCH AND PLACED THE MAGNETO SWITCH TO BOTH. HE EXITED THE COCKPIT TO HAND PROP THE ENGINE. THE PASSENGER REMAINED IN THE COCKPIT. AFTER THE ENGINE STARTED THE PILOT WAS WALKING AROUND THE RIGHT WING WHEN THE ENGINE WENT TO A HIGH RPM. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED MOVING AND THE PILOT WAS KNOCKED TO THE GROUND WHEN HE TRIED TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES TO THE RUNWAY. IT TRAVELED ACROSS THE RUNWAY, HIT THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY FENCE, WENT THROUGH THE FENCE AND COLLIDED WITH SOME LARGE TREES. IT CAME TO A STOP IN A SMALL PARK JUST OFF AIRPORT PROPERTY ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7004P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.