- Date
- May 31, 2010, 13:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Wellington, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N78612Cessna 172K
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100531037749A
- Case key
- 76225
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 properly secure the airplane while manually starting the engine with the propeller.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot tried to start his single-engine airplane but realized that the battery was dead and his attempt to charge the battery was unsuccessful. He then prepared to hand-prop the engine by setting the hand brake, priming the engine and turning the ignition on to both magnetos. The throttle was set to the idle position. The pilot moved the propeller and the engine started immediately; however, the hand brake could not hold the thrust of the engine and it started to accelerate. The pilot was unable to catch the airplane as it crossed the taxiways and interposed grass before it finally stopped when it collided with terrain prior to the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine and engine mounts were displaced to the right and that the lower part of the nose landing gear was sheered away.
Factual narrative
The private pilot tried to start his single-engine airplane but realized that the battery was dead and his attempt to charge the battery was unsuccessful. So, he prepared to hand-prop the engine by setting the hand break, priming the engine and turning the ignition on to both magnetos. The throttle was set to the idle position. The pilot moved the propeller and the engine started immediately; however, the hand break could not hold the thrust of the engine and it started to accelerate. The pilot was unable to catch the airplane as it crossed the taxiways and interposed grass before it finally stopped when it collided with terrain prior to the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine and engine mounts were displaced to the right, and the lower part of the nose landing gear was sheered away.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78612
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257686
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lind Edward
- Registered owner
- Lind Edward
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EGT · Wellington, KS
- Destination
- EGT · Wellington, KS
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- EGT · Wellington AIrport
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 1, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 478 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.