- Date
- November 30, 2008, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pleasanton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N4659HPiper PA-15
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081130854289A
- Case key
- 69516
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 pilot's failure to adequately secure the airplane while hand-starting the engine.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Prior to starting the engine, the pilot had tied down the airplane's tail on the ramp with a rope because no wheel chocks were available. After the pilot started the engine via hand turning the propeller, the rope that retained the airplane broke. The pilot attempted to hang onto the airplane in order to regain control, however, he was unsuccessful. The unoccupied airplane then struck a parked aircraft, a fence, and came to rest on its nose against the fence. The pilot was not injured.
Factual narrative
Prior to starting the engine, the pilot had tied down the airplane's tail on the ramp with a rope because no wheel chocks were available. After the pilot started the engine via hand turning the propeller, the rope that retained the airplane broke. The pilot attempted to hang onto the airplane in order to regain control, however, he was unsuccessful. The unoccupied airplane then struck a parked aircraft, a fence, and came to rest on its nose against the fence. The pilot was not injured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4659H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-15
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15-368
- Airframe hours
- 1,162
- Engine
- Lycoming O-145-B, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ralph A. Hoyt
- Registered owner
- Robert W. Talbott
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 28, 2008
- Departed
- PEZ · Pleasanton, TX
- Destination
- PEZ · Pleasanton, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- PEZ · Pleasanton Municipal Airport
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
- 85
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 7,883 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4659H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.