20120121001539I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172RG · Davenport, IA · January 21, 2012

Date: January 21, 2012 · 22:22 local
Place: Davenport, IA
Airport: Davenport Municipal
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N473KP
Reported as: Cessna 172RG
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,300 total20 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N473KPRegistered now · Cessna 172RGS/N 172RG1132 · Built 1982 Airframe modelCessna 172RG Engine 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.

During a preflight, the airman noticed that the battery voltage was low, and he decided to hand prop the aircraft to let the battery charge. This occurred late at night, as he wanted to leave early the next morning and wanted the battery fully charged. The parking brake was set and the aircraft wheels were chocked; however, there was ice and snow on the ramp. After the aircraft was started, it began to roll or slide down the ramp. It eventually came to rest in a glass wall of the FBO building. The airman was unable to gain access to the aircraft, as it was taxiing toward the ramp, due to the slippery conditions on the ramp. After the aircraft impacted the building, he was able to gain access to the aircraft and turn off the engine.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A PREFLIGHT, THE AIRMAN NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS LOW, AND HE DECIDED TO HAND PROP THE AIRCRAFT TO LET THE BATTERY CHARGE. THIS OCCURRED LATE AT NIGHT, AS HE WANTED TO LEAVE EARLY THE NEXT MORNING AND WANTED THE BATTERY FULLY CHARGED. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET AND THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS WERE CHOCKED; HOWEVER, THERE WAS ICE AND SNOW ON THE RAMP. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS STARTED, IT BEGAN TO ROLL OR SLIDE DOWN THE RAMP. IT EVENTUALLY CAME TO REST IN A GLASS WALL OF THE FBO BUILDING. THE AIRMAN WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE AIRCRAFT, AS IT WAS TAXIING TOWARD THE RAMP, DUE TO THE SLIPPERY CONDITIONS ON THE RAMP. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE BUILDING, HE WAS ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE AIRCRAFT AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE.