20200407003832I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 175 · Burlington, NC · April 7, 2020

Date: April 7, 2020 · 11:30 local
Place: Burlington, NC
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision: Collision on the ground
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7658M
Reported as: Cessna 175
Reported engine: Continental GO-300 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 737 total720 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N7658MRegistration cancelled Jun 12, 2021 · Cessna 175S/N 55958 · Built 1959 Airframe modelCessna 175 Engine modelContinental GO-300 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.

The pilot of N7658M set the parking brake and hand propped the engine of the aircraft with the passenger seated inside to operate the starter button. When the engine started, before the pilot could get into the cockpit, the aircraft began to roll forward. Instructions to the passenger to retard the throttle were not understood / followed.

The aircraft struck two parked aircraft before coming to rest against a sign pole when the pilot was able to get into the aircraft and secure the engine. After the incident, the parking brake system was inspected by an aircraft mechanic and was found to have weak and worn parts.

Manufacturer: Cessna

Part name: plate left lock part # 0541141-1

Part name: plate right lock part # 0541141-2

Part name: spring parking brake part # 0541145

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT OF N7658M SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND HAND PROPPED THE ENGINE OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE PASSENGER SEATED INSIDE TO OPERATE THE STARTER BUTTON. WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED, BEFORE THE PILOT COULD GET INTO THE COCKPIT, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL FORWARD. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PASSENGER TO RETARD THE THROTTLE WERE NOT UNDERSTOOD / FOLLOWED.

THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TWO PARKED AIRCRAFT BEFORE COMING TO REST AGAINST A SIGN POLE WHEN THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE AIRCRAFT AND SECURE THE ENGINE. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM WAS INSPECTED BY AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE WEAK AND WORN PARTS.

MANUFACTURER: CESSNA

PART NAME: PLATE LEFT LOCK PART # 0541141-1

PART NAME: PLATE RIGHT LOCK PART # 0541141-2

PART NAME: SPRING PARKING BRAKE PART # 0541145

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N5399TPiper PA-28R-200No report for this aircraft in the release