# Accident 20041028028139A: Bbavia 7GCAA, Petaluma, CA, October 28, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 28, 2004, 09:30 local time
- Place: Petaluma, CA
- Airport: Petaluma Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.2578° N, 122.6056° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2578&lon=-122.6056&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9081L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9081L) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Champion 7GCAA (registry code 21101N8, https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7gcaa) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BBAVIA 7GCAA
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 234 total, 141 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX05CA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05CA024) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041028028139A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT STATED HE RAN THE BATTERY DOWN ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE. PILOT WAS OBSERVED ATTEMPTING TO HAND PROP THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT THE BRAKES SET OR WHEELS CHOCKED. ENGINE STARTED AND TAXIED ACROSS THE RAMP HITTING A CE-182-Q AIRCRAFT THAT WAS TIED DOWN CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO BOTH AIRCRAFT. A PASSENGER WAS IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CHAMPION AND WAS BRIEFED NOT TO TOUCH THE PEDALS. PILOT NOT ON BOARD.

## 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 LAX05CA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05CA024), Oct 28, 2004: Champion 7GCAA (N9081L), Petaluma, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to follow the published prestart, start, and shutdown procedures.

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.
