What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 9, 2025, pilot was preparing for a flight to lodi California (1O3). Pilot completed the preflight of the aircraft and pulled the aircraft out of the hanger and onto the movement area between the hangers. At approximately 10:50 PST, pilot advanced the throttle to full to prime the engine. After priming the engine, pilot started the engine with the intent to taxi to the self-service fuel depot to get fuel for the flight. Pilot neglected to retard the throttle prior to engine start, resulting in the engine running at full throttle after ignition. The aircraft then began to taxi forward. Pilot attempted to apply the brakes but that did not stop the aircraft. Pilot then attempted to retard the throttle to idle but initially had trouble pulling the throttle back. Pilot was eventually able to pull the throttle back to idle but by that time the aircraft veered to the left such that the left wingtip struck and scraped down the door of hanger, further increasing the pull of the aircraft to the left. The prop then struck the door of the hanger which then became lodged in the hanger door causing the aircraft to spin dramatically to the left and stopping the movement of the aircraft. At this point the pilot shut the aircraft engine down and the passenger and pilot exited the aircraft. Upon inspection of the aircraft, pilot noted damage to the left wing and wingtip, the right wing and wingtip, and the propeller and nose cone. Pilot rotated the prop to the right to dislodge the prop and remove the aircraft from the hanger door.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 9, 2025, PILOT WAS PREPARING FOR A FLIGHT TO LODI CALIFORNIA (1O3). PILOT COMPLETED THE PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND PULLED THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE HANGER AND ONTO THE MOVEMENT AREA BETWEEN THE HANGERS. AT APPROXIMATELY 10:50 PST, PILOT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO FULL TO PRIME THE ENGINE. AFTER PRIMING THE ENGINE, PILOT STARTED THE ENGINE WITH THE INTENT TO TAXI TO THE SELF-SERVICE FUEL DEPOT TO GET FUEL FOR THE FLIGHT. PILOT NEGLECTED TO RETARD THE THROTTLE PRIOR TO ENGINE START, RESULTING IN THE ENGINE RUNNING AT FULL THROTTLE AFTER IGNITION. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN TO TAXI FORWARD. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THAT DID NOT STOP THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO RETARD THE THROTTLE TO IDLE BUT INITIALLY HAD TROUBLE PULLING THE THROTTLE BACK. PILOT WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO PULL THE THROTTLE BACK TO IDLE BUT BY THAT TIME THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT SUCH THAT THE LEFT WINGTIP STRUCK AND SCRAPED DOWN THE DOOR OF HANGER, FURTHER INCREASING THE PULL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT. THE PROP THEN STRUCK THE DOOR OF THE HANGER WHICH THEN BECAME LODGED IN THE HANGER DOOR CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN DRAMATICALLY TO THE LEFT AND STOPPING THE MOVEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT SHUT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE DOWN AND THE PASSENGER AND PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, PILOT NOTED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND WINGTIP, THE RIGHT WING AND WINGTIP, AND THE PROPELLER AND NOSE CONE. PILOT ROTATED THE PROP TO THE RIGHT TO DISLODGE THE PROP AND REMOVE THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE HANGER DOOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.