- Date
- November 4, 1990, 13:36 local (18:36 UTC)
- Place
- Farmville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1336JAeronca L3B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901104051549A
- Case key
- 11641
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to properly secure the aircraft while starting the engine by hand proping.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot attempted to hand prop start his aircraft without any assistance. He tied down the tail and chocked the front tires, and started the aircraft per normal 'hot start' procedures. As the pilot walked around the aircraft, the tie down rope broke. The unattended aircraft jumped the chocks and proceeded across the ramp, eventually colliding with the corner of a hangar and a van.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1336J
- Reported as
- Aeronca L3B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 058B13644
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- George W. Preston
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1990 · 7 hours before
- Airport
- FVX · Farmville
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,051 total · 54 in this make and model · 965 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.