What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot had loaded the aircraft for his return trip home , completed his preflight inspection, and removed the chocks. After his preflight, his wife boarded the aircraft and occupied the front right (passenger) seat. The pilot attempted to start the aircraft and heard the starter spinning, but it wouldn't engage the engine. He tried about 3 more times with the same result. He believes he shut "everything" off and exited the aircraft to pull the prop through to perhaps engage the starter as he felt it may be in a "dead spot". The marshaler assigned to his departure asked if he had everything off inside and the pilot went to recheck by reaching in and "shutting everything off".when he pulled the prop through a compression stroke, the engine started. He ran around the aircraft and hopped up on the left wing to gain access to the cockpit, but the aircraft rolled forward and he fell off the wing. The aircraft picked up speed fast and he was unable to catch it as it drove away. It drove across a ramp, a taxiway, and a runway, impacting runway identifier signs and wig-wag lights along the way. The aircraft came to rest approximately 300 yards from the FBO ramp where it started. The nose gear had broken off and the aricraft was oriented in a nose down, wings level attitude. The pilot's wife was uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT HAD LOADED THE AIRCRAFT FOR HIS RETURN TRIP HOME , COMPLETED HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, AND REMOVED THE CHOCKS. AFTER HIS PREFLIGHT, HIS WIFE BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT AND OCCUPIED THE FRONT RIGHT (PASSENGER) SEAT.THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START THE AIRCRAFT AND HEARD THE STARTER SPINNING, BUT IT WOULDN'T ENGAGE THE ENGINE. HE TRIED ABOUT 3 MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT.HE BELIEVES HE SHUT "EVERYTHING" OFF AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO PULL THE PROP THROUGH TO PERHAPS ENGAGE THE STARTER AS HE FELT IT MAY BE IN A "DEAD SPOT". THE MARSHALER ASSIGNED TO HIS DEPARTURE ASKED IF HE HAD EVERYTHING OFF INSIDE AND THE PILOT WENT TO RECHECK BY REACHING IN AND "SHUTTING EVERYTHING OFF".WHEN HE PULLED THE PROP THROUGH A COMPRESSION STROKE, THE ENGINE STARTED. HE RAN AROUND THE AIRCRAFT AND HOPPED UP ON THE LEFT WING TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT, BUT THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED FORWARD AND HE FELL OFF THE WING.THE AIRCRAFT PICKED UP SPEED FAST AND HE WAS UNABLE TO CATCH IT AS IT DROVE AWAY. IT DROVE ACROSS A RAMP, A TAXIWAY, AND A RUNWAY, IMPACTING RUNWAY IDENTIFIER SIGNS AND WIG-WAG LIGHTS ALONG THE WAY.THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS FROM THE FBO RAMP WHERE IT STARTED. THE NOSE GEAR HAD BROKEN OFF AND THE ARICRAFT WAS ORIENTED IN A NOSE DOWN, WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE PILOT'S WIFE WAS UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.