20110529010599I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172S · San Carlos, CA · May 29, 2011

Date: May 29, 2011 · 13:00 local
Place: San Carlos, CA
Phase of flight: Unknown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N5286C
Reported as: Cessna 172S
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 200 total100 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N5286CRegistered now · Cessna 172SS/N 172S9219 · Built 2002 Airframe modelCessna 172S Engine modelLycoming IO-360-L2AReciprocating

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.

The pilot pulled aircraft out of hanger, left tow bar attached to the nose wheel. The pilot finished pre-flight and helped passengers with seats and seatbelts. He then walked around the rear of the aircraft shut the hanger doors and got into the aircraft. The pilot finished pre-flight checks and started the engine. During the start-up the propeller struck the tow bar that was still attached to the nose wheel. The tow bar hit both blades of the propeller and the lower engine cowling causing minor damage. The pilot shut down the engine and got out to inspect the aircraft for damage.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT PULLED AIRCRAFT OUT OF HANGER, LEFT TOW BAR ATTACHED TO THE NOSE WHEEL. THE PILOT FINISHED PRE-FLIGHT AND HELPED PASSENGERS WITH SEATS AND SEATBELTS. HE THEN WALKED AROUND THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT SHUT THE HANGER DOORS AND GOT INTO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT FINISHED PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS AND STARTED THE ENGINE. DURING THE START-UP THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE TOW BAR THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE NOSE WHEEL. THE TOW BAR HIT BOTH BLADES OF THE PROPELLER AND THE LOWER ENGINE COWLING CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND GOT OUT TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT FOR DAMAGE.