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20030630012629I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-22-108 · Columbia, CA · June 30, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 30, 2003 · 10:44 local
Place
Columbia, CA
Airport
Columbia Airport
Phase of flight
Starting Engines
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5078Z
Reported as
Piper PA22108
Reported engine
Lycoming O235*
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
330 total20 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N5078ZRegistered now · Piper PA-22-108S/N 22-8709Airframe modelPiper PA-22-108Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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) Mr. Jennings indicated that he was hand propping his aircraft, since the battery seemed to be too weak to turn over the starter. Upon the first attempt, at hand propping, Mr. Jennings thought he had over primed the engine and so got into the cockpit and attempted to turn the engine over with the starter. In so doing, he fully opened the throttle attempting to clear the engine. After attempting this procedure, he got out and attempted to hand prop the engine a second time, it started and the aircraft got away from him. He later recalled that upon exiting the aircraft he had forgotten to close the throttle. The aircraft hit a stanchion which surrounded an above ground fuel tank. There was not damage to the fuel tank, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The purpose of the operation, according to Mr. Jennings was to move the aircraft to the other side of the airport in order to load some additional camping equipment into the aircraft. Damage to the aircraft was substantial, and Mr. Jennings received some minor injuries to his right wrist.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MR. JENNINGS INDICATED THAT HE WAS HAND PROPPING HIS AIRCRAFT, SINCE THE BATTERY SEEMED TO BE TOO WEAK TO TURN OVER THE STARTER. UPON THE FIRST ATTEMPT, AT HAND PROPPING, MR. JENNINGS THOUGHT HE HAD OVER PRIMED THE ENGINE AND SO GOT INTO THE COCKPIT AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER WITH THE STARTER. IN SO DOING, HE FULLY OPENED THE THROTTLE ATTEMPTING TO CLEAR THE ENGINE. AFTER ATTEMPTING THIS PROCEDURE, HE GOT OUT AND ATTEMPTED TO HAND PROP THE ENGINE A SECOND TIME, IT STARTED AND THE AIRCRAFT GOT AWAY FROM HIM. HE LATER RECALLED THAT UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO CLOSE THE THROTTLE. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A STANCHION WHICH SURROUNDED AN ABOVE GROUND FUEL TANK. THERE WAS NOT DAMAGE TO THE FUEL TANK, BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PURPOSE OF THE OPERATION, ACCORDING TO MR. JENNINGS WAS TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT IN ORDER TO LOAD SOME ADDITIONAL CAMPING EQUIPMENT INTO THE AIRCRAFT. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIAL, AND MR. JENNINGS RECEIVED SOME MINOR INJURIES TO HIS RIGHT WRIST.