What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The allegheny FSDO was notified that an aircraft had struck the terminal building at the St. Marys, PA municipal airport on may 3, 2005, at approximately 12:26 EDT. The aircraft engine had failed to start using normal procedures. When the engine had failed to start via engine starter cranking, the pilot elected to get out of the aircraft and clear the cylinders of fuel by manually rotating the propeller. As the pilot rotated the propeller by hand, the engine abruptly started and the aircraft traveled across the ramp striking the terminal building before the pilot could reenter the aircraft.
I arrived at the st. mary?s airport on may 4, 2015 at approximately 11:45. The aircraft had been moved away from the terminal building for safety and fire prevention the previous day, to a location at mid-ramp. As a result of impact with the terminal building and supporting steel uprights, the crankshaft flange had cracked and the propeller had become detached. The wings had struck two steel uprights (first with the right wing and then the left wing) causing the left wing lift strut to become detached at the lower attach point and resulting in deep leading edge dents and skin perforation and tearing back to the main spar on both wings, including left wing spar distortion. There was significant wrinkling and distortion of the LH side fuselage skin. With the assistance of an accompanying airworthiness inspector, we removed the upper left and right engine cowling to gain access to the engine magnetos. We found that the magnetos were uncompromised and intact. The ignition wiring and magneto primary leads were appropriately connected and uncompromised from the impact with the terminal building. I attempted to contact the first responders to the scene to learn of the position of the magneto switch and engine controls. I was advised by the airport manager that he was not the first person to enter the aircraft, but was the person called to secure the aircraft. First responders had removed the uninjured female passenger from the right front seat as the engine continued to run at full power despite the crankshaft being sheared at the propeller flange. The airport manager stated that the magneto switch was in the ?l? (Left) position, and that the engine throttle was full forward (full throttle) and that the mixture control was at full rich. With the engine controls in this position, the magneto would have been able to produce current to the engine spark plugs and ignite any fuel remaining in the cylinders.
On two separate occasions via cell phone voice mail, I asked the pilotprivacy data omitted to provide me with aircraft and engine log books to verify annual inspection dates. No return phone call was received from privacy data omittedpilot. No log book entries were received from him.-end wdg
As the FAA filed it
THE ALLEGHENY FSDO WAS NOTIFIED THAT AN AIRCRAFT HAD STRUCK THE TERMINAL BUILDING AT THE ST. MARYS, PA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ON MAY 3, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:26 EDT. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD FAILED TO START USING NORMAL PROCEDURES. WHEN THE ENGINE HAD FAILED TO START VIA ENGINE STARTER CRANKING, THE PILOT ELECTED TO GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CLEAR THE CYLINDERS OF FUEL BY MANUALLY ROTATING THE PROPELLER. AS THE PILOT ROTATED THE PROPELLER BY HAND, THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY STARTED AND THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED ACROSS THE RAMP STRIKING THE TERMINAL BUILDING BEFORE THE PILOT COULD REENTER THE AIRCRAFT.
I ARRIVED AT THE ST. MARY?S AIRPORT ON MAY 4, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:45. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED AWAY FROM THE TERMINAL BUILDING FOR SAFETY AND FIRE PREVENTION THE PREVIOUS DAY, TO A LOCATION AT MID-RAMP. AS A RESULT OF IMPACT WITH THE TERMINAL BUILDING AND SUPPORTING STEEL UPRIGHTS, THE CRANKSHAFT FLANGE HAD CRACKED AND THE PROPELLER HAD BECOME DETACHED. THE WINGS HAD STRUCK TWO STEEL UPRIGHTS (FIRST WITH THE RIGHT WING AND THEN THE LEFT WING) CAUSING THE LEFT WING LIFT STRUT TO BECOME DETACHED AT THE LOWER ATTACH POINT AND RESULTING IN DEEP LEADING EDGE DENTS AND SKIN PERFORATION AND TEARING BACK TO THE MAIN SPAR ON BOTH WINGS, INCLUDING LEFT WING SPAR DISTORTION. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT WRINKLING AND DISTORTION OF THE LH SIDE FUSELAGE SKIN. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF AN ACCOMPANYING AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, WE REMOVED THE UPPER LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINE COWLING TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE ENGINE MAGNETOS. WE FOUND THAT THE MAGNETOS WERE UNCOMPROMISED AND INTACT. THE IGNITION WIRING AND MAGNETO PRIMARY LEADS WERE APPROPRIATELY CONNECTED AND UNCOMPROMISED FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE TERMINAL BUILDING. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO THE SCENE TO LEARN OF THE POSITION OF THE MAGNETO SWITCH AND ENGINE CONTROLS. I WAS ADVISED BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER THAT HE WAS NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO ENTER THE AIRCRAFT, BUT WAS THE PERSON CALLED TO SECURE THE AIRCRAFT. FIRST RESPONDERS HAD REMOVED THE UNINJURED FEMALE PASSENGER FROM THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT AS THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AT FULL POWER DESPITE THE CRANKSHAFT BEING SHEARED AT THE PROPELLER FLANGE. THE AIRPORT MANAGER STATED THAT THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS IN THE ?L? (LEFT) POSITION, AND THAT THE ENGINE THROTTLE WAS FULL FORWARD (FULL THROTTLE) AND THAT THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS AT FULL RICH. WITH THE ENGINE CONTROLS IN THIS POSITION, THE MAGNETO WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE CURRENT TO THE ENGINE SPARK PLUGS AND IGNITE ANY FUEL REMAINING IN THE CYLINDERS.
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS VIA CELL PHONE VOICE MAIL, I ASKED THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO PROVIDE ME WITH AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE LOG BOOKS TO VERIFY ANNUAL INSPECTION DATES. NO RETURN PHONE CALL WAS RECEIVED FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT. NO LOG BOOK ENTRIES WERE RECEIVED FROM HIM.-END WDG
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.