What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pulled my aircra?? Out of the hanger about 3:45 pm, started it normally, and taxied to the north
West ramp on the opposite side of the airport for a 4:00 pm eaa chapter 663 photo shoot.
Normal taxi with klvk ground control permissions.
Aircra?? Shut down and then posi??oned by hand (with nose gear tow bar) with many other eaa
663 Aircra?? On the north west ramp. Once all aircra?? Were in posi??on, photos were taken of
The group by a chapter photographer using a man-li??.
Following the photo session, all of the aircra?? Were sequen??ally moved out of the bunch by
Hand, again using tow bars, and moved by hand to safe loca??ons for star??ng and taxiing. Since
My aircra?? Was in the back row, it was one of the later to be moved out.
With my aircra?? Moved by hand to a posi??on on the ramp closer to the taxiway and clear of
Other aircra?? And people, I entered the aircra??, fastened my 4 point harness, secured the doors,
And prepared to start the engine and taxi back to the hanger.
At approximately 5:15 pm, I proceeded to start the engine. The engine was heat soaked from
The taxi to the photo shoot and so required a hot start procedure. A??er a couple of start tries,
The engine suddenly started at a high speed (roared to life). The high engine speed thrust
Caused the aircra?? To unexpectedly move forward with me trying to control it with the brakes.
As the aircra?? Lurched forward and slightly to the right, the right wing impacted a city of
Livermore man-li?? That was parked ahead and to the right on the ramp. The contact of the wing
And man-li?? Quickly pivoted the aircra?? Around the man-li?? About 270 deg., as I stood on the
Brakes and quickly pulled the mixture to shut it down.
N76KL came to rest in the gravel and rock area just off the side of the ramp, with the nose
Pressed against the side of the man-li??. There was damage to the right wing’s leading edge and
A sha??ered composite prop from the impact with the side of the man-li??.
The man-li?? Sustained damage from the propeller’s impact to its electrical control cables
Running along the boom structure. There were no injuries, and no other aircra?? Involved.
At approximately 5:17 pm the tower was advised of the incident, the airport fire truck was
Dispatched to the scene, and a city of Livermore airport person and a 5 rivers FBO person came
To the scene to render assistance.
Over the next approximately 1.5 hours, the FAA and NTSB were contacted by the tower, and the
Aircra?? Was released the to be moved.
With the help of the city employee and FBO employee, the aircra?? Was pushed back away from
The man-li??, connected to a tow bar, and towed back to the hanger
As the FAA filed it
PULLED MY AIRCRA?? OUT OF THE HANGER ABOUT 3:45 PM, STARTED IT NORMALLY, AND TAXIED TO THE NORTH
WEST RAMP ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT FOR A 4:00 PM EAA CHAPTER 663 PHOTO SHOOT.
NORMAL TAXI WITH KLVK GROUND CONTROL PERMISSIONS.
AIRCRA?? SHUT DOWN AND THEN POSI??ONED BY HAND (WITH NOSE GEAR TOW BAR) WITH MANY OTHER EAA
663 AIRCRA?? ON THE NORTH WEST RAMP. ONCE ALL AIRCRA?? WERE IN POSI??ON, PHOTOS WERE TAKEN OF
THE GROUP BY A CHAPTER PHOTOGRAPHER USING A MAN-LI??.
FOLLOWING THE PHOTO SESSION, ALL OF THE AIRCRA?? WERE SEQUEN??ALLY MOVED OUT OF THE BUNCH BY
HAND, AGAIN USING TOW BARS, AND MOVED BY HAND TO SAFE LOCA??ONS FOR STAR??NG AND TAXIING. SINCE
MY AIRCRA?? WAS IN THE BACK ROW, IT WAS ONE OF THE LATER TO BE MOVED OUT.
WITH MY AIRCRA?? MOVED BY HAND TO A POSI??ON ON THE RAMP CLOSER TO THE TAXIWAY AND CLEAR OF
OTHER AIRCRA?? AND PEOPLE, I ENTERED THE AIRCRA??, FASTENED MY 4 POINT HARNESS, SECURED THE DOORS,
AND PREPARED TO START THE ENGINE AND TAXI BACK TO THE HANGER.
AT APPROXIMATELY 5:15 PM, I PROCEEDED TO START THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS HEAT SOAKED FROM
THE TAXI TO THE PHOTO SHOOT AND SO REQUIRED A HOT START PROCEDURE. A??ER A COUPLE OF START TRIES,
THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED AT A HIGH SPEED (ROARED TO LIFE). THE HIGH ENGINE SPEED THRUST
CAUSED THE AIRCRA?? TO UNEXPECTEDLY MOVE FORWARD WITH ME TRYING TO CONTROL IT WITH THE BRAKES.
AS THE AIRCRA?? LURCHED FORWARD AND SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A CITY OF
LIVERMORE MAN-LI?? THAT WAS PARKED AHEAD AND TO THE RIGHT ON THE RAMP. THE CONTACT OF THE WING
AND MAN-LI?? QUICKLY PIVOTED THE AIRCRA?? AROUND THE MAN-LI?? ABOUT 270 DEG., AS I STOOD ON THE
BRAKES AND QUICKLY PULLED THE MIXTURE TO SHUT IT DOWN.
N76KL CAME TO REST IN THE GRAVEL AND ROCK AREA JUST OFF THE SIDE OF THE RAMP, WITH THE NOSE
PRESSED AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE MAN-LI??. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING’S LEADING EDGE AND
A SHA??ERED COMPOSITE PROP FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE SIDE OF THE MAN-LI??.
THE MAN-LI?? SUSTAINED DAMAGE FROM THE PROPELLER’S IMPACT TO ITS ELECTRICAL CONTROL CABLES
RUNNING ALONG THE BOOM STRUCTURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, AND NO OTHER AIRCRA?? INVOLVED.
AT APPROXIMATELY 5:17 PM THE TOWER WAS ADVISED OF THE INCIDENT, THE AIRPORT FIRE TRUCK WAS
DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE, AND A CITY OF LIVERMORE AIRPORT PERSON AND A 5 RIVERS FBO PERSON CAME
TO THE SCENE TO RENDER ASSISTANCE.
OVER THE NEXT APPROXIMATELY 1.5 HOURS, THE FAA AND NTSB WERE CONTACTED BY THE TOWER, AND THE
AIRCRA?? WAS RELEASED THE TO BE MOVED.
WITH THE HELP OF THE CITY EMPLOYEE AND FBO EMPLOYEE, THE AIRCRA?? WAS PUSHED BACK AWAY FROM
THE MAN-LI??, CONNECTED TO A TOW BAR, AND TOWED BACK TO THE HANGER