20120122001919I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Bellanca 17-30A · Leonardtown, MD · January 22, 2012

Date
January 22, 2012 · 14:22 local
Place
Leonardtown, MD
Airport
St Mary'S County Regional
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N711LA
Reported as
Bellanca 17-30A
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1

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 aircraft privacy data omitted, a certificated airman, while deployed overseas for the military, instructed his non-certificated wife to enlist the help from the airport staff to run the aircraft's engine. privacy data omitted Was concerned with the possibility of airworthiness issues with his aircraft due to the 14 month inactivity it would be subjected to during his deployment. privacy data omitted Felt with the familiarization she had with this aircraft she would be capable of performing the procedure. Upon engine start the throttle was inadvertently selected to the full throttle position. privacy data omitted Was unable to control both the speed of the engine and the aircraft resulting in the aircraft contacting an adjacent hangar. The hangar sustained minor damage, the aircraft sustained substantial damage, and privacy data omitted sustained serious bodily injury to include a broken jaw and 3 inch laceration on her forehead.privacy data omitted Was at the controls of the aircraft in the left seat and her 17 year old nephew privacy data omitted was in the right seat as an observer.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CERTIFICATED AIRMAN, WHILE DEPLOYED OVERSEAS FOR THE MILITARY, INSTRUCTED HIS NON-CERTIFICATED WIFE TO ENLIST THE HELP FROM THE AIRPORT STAFF TO RUN THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES WITH HIS AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE 14 MONTH INACTIVITY IT WOULD BE SUBJECTED TO DURING HIS DEPLOYMENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FELT WITH THE FAMILIARIZATION SHE HAD WITH THIS AIRCRAFT SHE WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE PROCEDURE. UPON ENGINE START THE THROTTLE WAS INADVERTENTLY SELECTED TO THE FULL THROTTLE POSITION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL BOTH THE SPEED OF THE ENGINE AND THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTING AN ADJACENT HANGAR. THE HANGAR SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO INCLUDE A BROKEN JAW AND 3 INCH LACERATION ON HER FOREHEAD.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS AT THE CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE LEFT SEAT AND HER 17 YEAR OLD NEPHEW ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT AS AN OBSERVER.