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20080429833799I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 170B · Fairbanks, AK · April 29, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 29, 2008 · 14:49 local
Place
Fairbanks, AK
Airport
Fairbanks International
Phase of flight
Starting Engines
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4466B
Reported as
Cessna 170B
Reported engine
Lycoming O360*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N4466BRegistered now · Cessna 170BS/N 26810 · Built 1955Airframe modelCessna 170BEngine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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 owner was familiarizing himself with a new aircraft radio installation when battery ran low. Due to the low battery the aircraft was hand propped to provide electrical power. There was no intention to fly. When hand propped the engine started and went immediately to full power. The occupant in right side seat was holding the brakes but the aircraft proceeded to move forward with locked wheels. Because of a medical condition affecting his left arm, the occupant was unable to reach the ignition or mixture controls. The occupant managed to maneuver aircraft down a row of parked aircraft turning to north on taxiway charlie. During turn to the north the right wing tip of the aircraft struck and damaged the rudder of a parked aircraft. The occupant, now pilot, in the right seat took off to the north from taxiway charlie, changed seats to the left seat, flew a pattern, and upon light gun signals from the tower set up for landing on 1R. The occupant pilot shut the engine off with the mixture control, landed on 1R, and pushed the airplane off the runway at a turn off. During investigation it was noted that the throttle cable barrel had slipped forward out of its clamp at the engine mount, allowing no control of throttle.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE OWNER WAS FAMILIARIZING HIMSELF WITH A NEW AIRCRAFT RADIO INSTALLATION WHEN BATTERY RAN LOW. DUE TO THE LOW BATTERY THE AIRCRAFT WAS HAND PROPPED TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER. THERE WAS NO INTENTION TO FLY. WHEN HAND PROPPED THE ENGINE STARTED AND WENT IMMEDIATELY TO FULL POWER. THE OCCUPANT IN RIGHT SIDE SEAT WAS HOLDING THE BRAKES BUT THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH LOCKED WHEELS. BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL CONDITION AFFECTING HIS LEFT ARM, THE OCCUPANT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE IGNITION OR MIXTURE CONTROLS. THE OCCUPANT MANAGED TO MANEUVER AIRCRAFT DOWN A ROW OF PARKED AIRCRAFT TURNING TO NORTH ON TAXIWAY CHARLIE. DURING TURN TO THE NORTH THE RIGHT WING TIP OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AND DAMAGED THE RUDDER OF A PARKED AIRCRAFT. THE OCCUPANT, NOW PILOT, IN THE RIGHT SEAT TOOK OFF TO THE NORTH FROM TAXIWAY CHARLIE, CHANGED SEATS TO THE LEFT SEAT, FLEW A PATTERN, AND UPON LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TOWER SET UP FOR LANDING ON 1R. THE OCCUPANT PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE OFF WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL, LANDED ON 1R, AND PUSHED THE AIRPLANE OFF THE RUNWAY AT A TURN OFF. DURING INVESTIGATION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE BARREL HAD SLIPPED FORWARD OUT OF ITS CLAMP AT THE ENGINE MOUNT, ALLOWING NO CONTROL OF THROTTLE.