20071212831019I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-235 · Chicago/Aurora, IL · December 12, 2007

Date: December 12, 2007 · 12:42 local
Place: Chicago/Aurora, IL
Airport: Aurora Municipal
Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3979X
Reported as: Piper PA28235
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,400 total2,000 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N3979XRegistration cancelled Mar 2, 2018 · Piper PA-28-235S/N 28-7610002 · Built 1975 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-235 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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 pilot privacy data omitted moved by hand the propeller of Piper PA-28-235, N3979X, at Aurora Municipal Airport, Aurora, Illinois, at 1242 CST, December 12, 2007 to determine why the starter was not engaging. Nobody was aboard the airplane when the engine started as a result of him moving the propeller. The pilot had the engine control settings in position to allow the engine to start and operate. He thought he had turned the magneto switch to "off." It was not fully off. The airplane moved under power across the ramp and into a ditch. The airplane was substantially damaged. There was no other property damage or personal injury. The pilot was not intending flight. He intended to warm the engine and taxi for fuel service.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MOVED BY HAND THE PROPELLER OF PIPER PA-28-235, N3979X, AT AURORA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, AURORA, ILLINOIS, AT 1242 CST, DECEMBER 12, 2007 TO DETERMINE WHY THE STARTER WAS NOT ENGAGING. NOBODY WAS ABOARD THE AIRPLANE WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED AS A RESULT OF HIM MOVING THE PROPELLER. THE PILOT HAD THE ENGINE CONTROL SETTINGS IN POSITION TO ALLOW THE ENGINE TO START AND OPERATE. HE THOUGHT HE HAD TURNED THE MAGNETO SWITCH TO "OFF." IT WAS NOT FULLY OFF. THE AIRPLANE MOVED UNDER POWER ACROSS THE RAMP AND INTO A DITCH. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THERE WAS NO OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY. THE PILOT WAS NOT INTENDING FLIGHT. HE INTENDED TO WARM THE ENGINE AND TAXI FOR FUEL SERVICE.

Other reports on N3979X · 1

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

Accident 20151024018599ALanding: Rollout · Winneconne, WIThe pilot reported that aircraft emitted smoke from under the engine cowl on final approach and the engine quit running upon touchdown on runway. After landing the aircraft became ingulfed in a ground fire.Oct 24, 2015 · Destroyed