What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was at the airport with two family member passengers intending to fly a C172 on a trip down the hudson river corridor as part of a group. Weather evaluation indicated that the clouds were lower than forecast in the weather briefing (about 2600’ overcast). As part of preflight, pilot discussed the conduct of the trip including intended routes. Additionally, pilot was distracted by electrical problems with plane’s right navigation light which had failed.
Everyone was trying to preflight quickly due to lowering ceiling (2400’ overcast) so they could ensure they had plenty of time to meet the rest of the group in new jersey on time. After preflight, pilot went inside terminal to secure an extra headset and arrange bags to prepare for departure. Pilot was excited because they hadn’t flown with these family members before and everyone was looking forward to the trip. Pilot purposefully left a single main landing gear chocked during preflight to facilitate refueling and loading the airplane with passengers and bags but failed to ensure removal prior to starting the engine.
After starting the engine, pilot was focused on making sure that everyone’s headsets were connected and everyone was comfortable. Subsequently, pilot of the plane next to them signaled that the wheel was still chocked. Pilot asked passenger to hold the brakes and, believing them secure, exited the cockpit to remove the remaining chock. Passenger, although not current, was a military qualified helicopter pilot who also has over 500 hours of fixed wing time and who pilot believed to be familiar with flight operations, so pilot eroneously believed brakes were secured. When pilot removed the chock, the plane started rolling forward. Pilot attempted to get to the door to pull the mixture but tripped. The plane turned a little to the left and rolled into fence surrounding the airport building. The spinner and prop went through the fence and the spinner hit the side of the airport building causing a small dent. The right wing also impacted a fence post and caused a dent at the end of the wing. The propeller had large nicks due to the fence. The pilot, with assistance for other pilots nearby, secured the airplane and made sure everyone was unharmed. There were no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS AT THE AIRPORT WITH TWO FAMILY MEMBER PASSENGERS INTENDING TO FLY A C172 ON A TRIP DOWN THE HUDSON RIVER CORRIDOR AS PART OF A GROUP. WEATHER EVALUATION INDICATED THAT THE CLOUDS WERE LOWER THAN FORECAST IN THE WEATHER BRIEFING (ABOUT 2600’ OVERCAST). AS PART OF PREFLIGHT, PILOT DISCUSSED THE CONDUCT OF THE TRIP INCLUDING INTENDED ROUTES. ADDITIONALLY, PILOT WAS DISTRACTED BY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH PLANE’S RIGHT NAVIGATION LIGHT WHICH HAD FAILED.
EVERYONE WAS TRYING TO PREFLIGHT QUICKLY DUE TO LOWERING CEILING (2400’ OVERCAST) SO THEY COULD ENSURE THEY HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO MEET THE REST OF THE GROUP IN NEW JERSEY ON TIME. AFTER PREFLIGHT, PILOT WENT INSIDE TERMINAL TO SECURE AN EXTRA HEADSET AND ARRANGE BAGS TO PREPARE FOR DEPARTURE. PILOT WAS EXCITED BECAUSE THEY HADN’T FLOWN WITH THESE FAMILY MEMBERS BEFORE AND EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TRIP. PILOT PURPOSEFULLY LEFT A SINGLE MAIN LANDING GEAR CHOCKED DURING PREFLIGHT TO FACILITATE REFUELING AND LOADING THE AIRPLANE WITH PASSENGERS AND BAGS BUT FAILED TO ENSURE REMOVAL PRIOR TO STARTING THE ENGINE.
AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, PILOT WAS FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE’S HEADSETS WERE CONNECTED AND EVERYONE WAS COMFORTABLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, PILOT OF THE PLANE NEXT TO THEM SIGNALED THAT THE WHEEL WAS STILL CHOCKED. PILOT ASKED PASSENGER TO HOLD THE BRAKES AND, BELIEVING THEM SECURE, EXITED THE COCKPIT TO REMOVE THE REMAINING CHOCK. PASSENGER, ALTHOUGH NOT CURRENT, WAS A MILITARY QUALIFIED HELICOPTER PILOT WHO ALSO HAS OVER 500 HOURS OF FIXED WING TIME AND WHO PILOT BELIEVED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH FLIGHT OPERATIONS, SO PILOT ERONEOUSLY BELIEVED BRAKES WERE SECURED. WHEN PILOT REMOVED THE CHOCK, THE PLANE STARTED ROLLING FORWARD. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GET TO THE DOOR TO PULL THE MIXTURE BUT TRIPPED. THE PLANE TURNED A LITTLE TO THE LEFT AND ROLLED INTO FENCE SURROUNDING THE AIRPORT BUILDING. THE SPINNER AND PROP WENT THROUGH THE FENCE AND THE SPINNER HIT THE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT BUILDING CAUSING A SMALL DENT. THE RIGHT WING ALSO IMPACTED A FENCE POST AND CAUSED A DENT AT THE END OF THE WING. THE PROPELLER HAD LARGE NICKS DUE TO THE FENCE. THE PILOT, WITH ASSISTANCE FOR OTHER PILOTS NEARBY, SECURED THE AIRPLANE AND MADE SURE EVERYONE WAS UNHARMED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
Other reports on N144ME · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.