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20140522008951A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · P&M QUIKR · Gulf Shores, AL · May 22, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 22, 2014 · 18:30 local
Place
Gulf Shores, AL
Airport
Jack Edwards
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Collision
Collision on the ground
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N428PM
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA14LA257
Reported as
P&M Quikr
Reported engine
ROTAX 912
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
12,737 total72 in this make and model29 in the last 90 days
N428PMRegistered now · P&M QUIKRS/N 8428 · Built 2009Airframe modelP&M QUIKREngine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

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 engine start between two rows of t-hangars, the pilot stated that he had twice tried, but failed, to get the engine to start. He said he then moved the choke from full choke to the half-choke position and tried a third time. The engine started and immediately went to full throttle. The brakes were not strong enough to hold the aircraft in place and it started accelerating rapidly. The pilot tried to turn off the magnetos but was only able to get one of the two turned off before impact.

The aircraft traveled approximately 80 feet, made a 70° turn to the left and traveled another 120 feet before hitting the nose of a parked single engine aircraft and coming to a stop, nose first, in the side of a hangar. Initial impact marks on both aircraft indicate the right side of the control bar of the weight-shift-control aircraft first contacted the propeller of the parked airplane. This turned the aircraft directly into the hangar wall. The impact knocked the parked Piper comanchee 90° and damaged its propeller, spinner, and cowling.

As the FAA filed it

DURING ENGINE START BETWEEN TWO ROWS OF T-HANGARS, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD TWICE TRIED, BUT FAILED, TO GET THE ENGINE TO START. HE SAID HE THEN MOVED THE CHOKE FROM FULL CHOKE TO THE HALF-CHOKE POSITION AND TRIED A THIRD TIME. THE ENGINE STARTED AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO FULL THROTTLE. THE BRAKES WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE AIRCRAFT IN PLACE AND IT STARTED ACCELERATING RAPIDLY. THE PILOT TRIED TO TURN OFF THE MAGNETOS BUT WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET ONE OF THE TWO TURNED OFF BEFORE IMPACT.

THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET, MADE A 70° TURN TO THE LEFT AND TRAVELED ANOTHER 120 FEET BEFORE HITTING THE NOSE OF A PARKED SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT AND COMING TO A STOP, NOSE FIRST, IN THE SIDE OF A HANGAR. INITIAL IMPACT MARKS ON BOTH AIRCRAFT INDICATE THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CONTROL BAR OF THE WEIGHT-SHIFT-CONTROL AIRCRAFT FIRST CONTACTED THE PROPELLER OF THE PARKED AIRPLANE. THIS TURNED THE AIRCRAFT DIRECTLY INTO THE HANGAR WALL. THE IMPACT KNOCKED THE PARKED PIPER COMANCHEE 90° AND DAMAGED ITS PROPELLER, SPINNER, AND COWLING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA14LA257Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGulf Shores, ALThe pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during engine startup, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to follow engine startup procedures and a sudden surge of engine power for…May 22, 2014 · Minor damage