- Date
- October 15, 2011, 09:05 local (13:05 UTC)
- Place
- Radnor, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N8746WPiper PA-28-235
- Defining event
- Standing: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 13, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Columbus FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111015024909A
- Case key
- 82114
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 engine controls prior to manually rotating the propeller, which led to an inadvertent engine start and runaway airplane.
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
The pilot reported that he was unable to start the engine using the cockpit's engine controls and he suspected that the starter drive gear was not engaging the propeller ring gear. He exited the airplane to rotate the propeller by hand in order to manually engage the starter's drive gear. As he rotated the propeller, the engine started and the unoccupied airplane proceeded across the airport, colliding with a hangar. The pilot reported that after the accident he found the airplane's ignition key was selected to one magneto instead of being in the full-off position. He also stated that he had left the mixture and throttle levers in the full-forward position and that he had not used the parking brake. The airplane's wings, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and fuselage were substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was unable to start the engine using the cockpit's engine controls. He suspected that the starter drive gear was not engaging the propeller ring gear. He exited the airplane to rotate the propeller by hand in order to manually engage the starter's drive gear to the propeller ring gear. As he rotated the propeller, the engine started and the unoccupied airplane proceeded across the airport, colliding with a hangar. The pilot reported that after the accident he found the airplane's ignition key was selected to one magneto instead of being in the full-off position. He also remarked that he had left the mixture and throttle levers in the full-forward position and that he had not used the parking brake. The airplane's wings, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and fuselage were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8746W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-10286
- Airframe hours
- 4,064
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Duewest Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Duewest Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 14, 2010
- Departed
- 5E9 · Radnor, OH
- Destination
- KDLZ · Delaware, OH
- Airport
- 5E9 · Packer 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 20, 2010
- Flight hours
- 374 total · 249 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 13 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- KDLZ, 9 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB 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.
Other investigations on N8746W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.