20210823013919I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · David B Dunlop MURPHY REBEL · Burlington, WA · August 23, 2021

Date: August 23, 2021 · 17:40 local
Place: Burlington, WA
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N309D
Reported as: David B Dunlop Murphy Rebel
Reported engine: Lycoming O-320
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,435 total150 in this make and model52 in the last 90 days

N309DRegistered now · David B Dunlop MURPHY REBELS/N 309 · Built 2016 Airframe modelDavid B Dunlop MURPHY REBEL Engine modelLycoming O-320 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.

Upon preparing for flight, the PIC discovered the aircraft?s main battery dead. PIC elected to hand prop the aircraft. The aircraft wings were tethered down to secure aircraft during hand prop. Tail wheel was not tethered down.

The PIC performed the hand propping while co-pilot was sitting right seat at the controls in the cockpit with the brakes set. When the engine did not start after several attempts, the engine was primed further. Copilot stated the PIC reached in the cockpit and pumped the throttle.

The PIC attempted another hand prop and engine started. The tail immediately rose up and the propeller contacted the ground destroying it.

As the FAA filed it

UPON PREPARING FOR FLIGHT, THE PIC DISCOVERED THE AIRCRAFT?S MAIN BATTERY DEAD. PIC ELECTED TO HAND PROP THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WINGS WERE TETHERED DOWN TO SECURE AIRCRAFT DURING HAND PROP. TAIL WHEEL WAS NOT TETHERED DOWN.

THE PIC PERFORMED THE HAND PROPPING WHILE CO-PILOT WAS SITTING RIGHT SEAT AT THE CONTROLS IN THE COCKPIT WITH THE BRAKES SET. WHEN THE ENGINE DID NOT START AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE ENGINE WAS PRIMED FURTHER. COPILOT STATED THE PIC REACHED IN THE COCKPIT AND PUMPED THE THROTTLE.

THE PIC ATTEMPTED ANOTHER HAND PROP AND ENGINE STARTED. THE TAIL IMMEDIATELY ROSE UP AND THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE GROUND DESTROYING IT.