20150909014579A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-17 · Delphi, IN · September 9, 2015

Date: September 9, 2015 · 18:00 local
Place: Delphi, IN
Airport: Delphi Municipal
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4653H
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15CA410
Reported as: Piper PA-17
Reported engine: Continental A&C65 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 7 total2 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N4653HRegistration cancelled Aug 1, 2026 · Piper PA-17S/N 17-63 Airframe modelPiper PA-17 Engine modelContinental A&C65 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.

On September 9, 2015, at approximately 1800 local time, a Piper PA-17 vagabond, N4653H, struck a building at Delphi Municipal Airport (1I9). There were no injuries to the pilot. The aircraft was operated under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed or required. The accident occurred while the pilot was hand propping his aircraft. The aircraft was neither chocked nor tied down. The aircraft was not equipped with a parking brake. The pilot attempted to hold the aircraft by the right wing leading edge with one hand and turn the propeller from behind with his other hand. When the engine started the pilot could not hold the aircraft, and it ran away from him. It hit an adjacent building 40 feet away. The pilot ran after the aircraft and shut down the engine after it hit the building . This report may be amended at a future date.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 LOCAL TIME, A PIPER PA-17 VAGABOND, N4653H, STRUCK A BUILDING AT DELPHI MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (1I9). THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED OR REQUIRED. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE THE PILOT WAS HAND PROPPING HIS AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEITHER CHOCKED NOR TIED DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A PARKING BRAKE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO HOLD THE AIRCRAFT BY THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE WITH ONE HAND AND TURN THE PROPELLER FROM BEHIND WITH HIS OTHER HAND. WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED THE PILOT COULD NOT HOLD THE AIRCRAFT, AND IT RAN AWAY FROM HIM. IT HIT AN ADJACENT BUILDING 40 FEET AWAY. THE PILOT RAN AFTER THE AIRCRAFT AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AFTER IT HIT THE BUILDING . THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED AT A FUTURE DATE.

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 CEN15CA410Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportDelphi, INThe pilot's attempt to start the engine by himself without properly securing the airplane.Sep 9, 2015 · Substantial damage